Emily
by Lara Kingsley
Summary: Her name's Emily, she's the youngest graduate of University of Michigan Med School and... she's Gregory House's daughter.
1. RSVP

Chapter I: RSVP

Lisa Cuddy, Dean of medicine of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, wasn't surprise when the head of the Diagnostic Department came bugging her around 1:30 pm. If she was right, and with Gregory House she was rarely wrong, he most likely was coming to complain about clinic duty.

"What is it House? Complaining about your clinic hours?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, Oh mistress, but no I'm not here about those horrible hours of clinic duty."

He took an envelope out of his jacket and handed it to her.

"What's that?"

"An invitation, stupid!"

Cuddy sighed before adding. "I can see that it's an invitation, but for what? Are you throwing a pity party for yourself or is it an invitation to Wilson's fifth wedding?"

"A pity party? Come on Cuddy, you know me better than that!" He sounded almost hurt. "And as for Wilson, poor Julie is only his third wives. No this invitation is for a graduation… down at Ann Arbor."

"Already? But… it's only been…"

"It's been 6 years already and now…"

"But… she's… God she's what? 21?" She couldn't believe how fast time has passed.

House went to the couch and sat on it, putting his bad leg on the coffee table. He then answered her interrogation.

"She's turning 22 in September."

"I can't believe it! Emily is graduating from Med School. Greg you must be so proud of her!"

"You bet I am! But don't tell her I told you."

The Dean of medicine sighed at her diagnostician last sentence.

"Come on, you're her dad, she sure know that you're proud of her. I mean, she graduate from high school at such a young age and now she's out of Med School…"

"Hearing you it's difficult to tell which one of us is her parent."

"So when it is? I will have to buy her something!" She made a pause, thinking of the perfect gift. "Do you think she would like to have her own med bag?"

The diagnostician got up before answering.

"She will like it, but not as much as my present!"

"And what did you buy your daughter this time? Another Vespa? A Harley Davidson?"

"No, cooler than that: A brand new Porsche!"

"Gregory House! If I didn't know you better I would think that you're trying to buy your daughter's love!"

"Well lucky you, you know me better to know that nothing is good enough for my princess."

He went to the door, but before leaving he turned around and told Cuddy.

"It's this week-end. Wilson already RSVP'S and he got us three plane tickets leaving tomorrow morning. Are your coming?"

The hospital administrator smiled, then told him.

"Sure. I wouldn't miss it for anything."

"Thanks… It would mean a lot to Emily…"

And as he closed the door he said.

"And to me."

TBC


	2. Suspicious Minds

Chapter 2: Suspicious minds

When House entered the Diagnostic Department conference room he found his "ducklings" in the exact same position as when he had left them earlier before he went for lunch.

"What? No new case?"

Foreman was the first to answer with a bored "No", and then Chase added "Nothing". Cameron got up and said.

"We could still do clinic duty!"

For only answer the immunologist received a deadly glance from her boss.

"Okay, forget I even suggest it…"

She then went back to sit next to her co-workers around the glass table. House started to play with his cane before announcing.

"Well I'm happy to announce that I'm having an early week-en!"

Foreman raised an eyebrow, suspicious.

"Cuddy will never allow it."

"You bet? Our dear Dean of medicine is also having an early week-end. In fact, as is Doctor Wilson."

Chase, who looked surprise, asked.

"And why an early week-end? It's not like there's a national holiday coming up!"

"And how would you know about our national holiday Chase? You're British!"

The Australian was going to answer back but was cut by Cameron.

"So no holiday, there's no charity event schedule… Then why?"

"Yeah, why would we all have an early week-end for no special reason?" asked Foreman.

"Did I said something about you having an early week-end? Cuddy, Wilson and I are having an early week-end while you, my dear ducklings, are going to be on pager shift until Monday morning. So Foreman, no trip to da hood, Chase there will be no skiing in Switzerland and Cameron, no girl gone wild act."

He started to smile, happy to have cut the three doctors. His smile disappeared as fast as it appeared when Cameron, who for a single moment was mad, asked again.

"Then what are you going to do?"

He sighed loudly, and then answered.

"If you really want to know mommy, daddy and Uncle Jimmy are going to a graduation at Ann Arbor."

Foreman asked, curious.

"University of Michigan? Who's graduating?"

"What, we're playing 20 questions now?"

House was starting to get really annoyed by their interrogation cession.

"Well, you got us curious!"

The head of the department went to the door connecting his office to the conference room, pushed it and added.

"Well Chase if you're so curious… The name's Emily, she's captain of the Lacrosse team, she's way smarter than the three of you put together and she got an amazing pair of legs!"

He then left the three doctors completely clueless. Cameron was the first one to react by going to the computer.

"Cameron, what are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing Foreman? I'm trying to find out who this Emily is!"

Chase followed her to the desk, looking at the screen over her shoulder.

"Brilliant! Are you going to _Google_ all the information?"

"Yeah! Emily… U of Michigan… Lacrosse captain… Class of…"

"Chase! Cameron! Isn't it a bit childish?"

The two doctors looked at him, surprised.

"Come on Foreman; don't tell me you're not curious to know who this girl is? Said Cameron as she rose from her chair.

"Unlike you Cameron I don't have a crush on my boss and I don't feel threatened by his sudden interest in a younger other woman!"

"Ah… Aren't you a bit curious? I mean, it's not like House is the most social person in the world!"

"Well my dear Allison, there's no reason to fear that your favorite diagnostician is getting a new chick 'cause that will be against the law."

Both Foreman and Cameron looked at Chase who was now sitting in front of the computer, surfing the web. The Australian turned around to face them, a goofy grin spread across is face.

"The name of the University of Michigan female Lacrosse team captain, who is also this year Med School Valedictorian, is Emily… House!"

"Since when does House have a sister?"

"She's not his sister, Eric. If this article is right, she's his daughter."

Cameron jaw dropped. She took one of the chairs around the conference table and sat next to Chase.

"I don't believe you! He's not old enough to have a kid out of Med School!"

"Read the article if you don't believe me."

Foreman went by Chase side, took a look at House office. He sighed when he saw him leaving the said office and heading to the elevator. He then started to read the article aloud.

"_Just like her father did nearly twenty years ago with our masculine Lacrosse team, Emily House has lead this year feminine Lacrosse team to the national championship… Emily House, this year medicine class youngest graduate and valedictorian, is the proud daughter of Doctor Gregory House, world known diagnostician and a University of Michigan alumnus."_

"Okay, now I understand his comment about her being smart, she's only 21!"

"I can't believe he never said anything about having an offspring!" Sighed Cameron with disbelieve.

Chase clicked on one of the link and ended up on a biopage about Emily House.

"Here it's say that she was born on September 14th to Greg house, but there is nothing about her mother. Hey Foreman, are you thinking the same thing as I?"

"That would explain why they are always fighting and his many non-appropriates comments."

Cameron looked at them, completely confuse.

"What are you talking about?"

"What Chase mean, Cameron, is that Cuddy and House act like an old couple…"

"What?! You think that Doctor Cuddy is the mother? Did you both failed Math 101? The girl was born before he started Med School, so before he met Doctor Cuddy!"

"Aren't we a bit possessive Cameron! Face it, with a daughter slightly younger than you I doubt House was or would ever be interest in you."

The young woman tried to ignore the Aussie last comment and concentrate on the screen in front of her.

"She attended The Academy of the Sacred-Heart-of-Mary… Isn't House an atheist?"

"Like House would say: Everybody lie!"

Foreman took the mouse from Chase and looked at the rest of the page.

"It's well known, Cameron, that these private catholic schools have the best educational system in the world."

"I once dated this girl in Sydney who was going to this catholic all-girl high school…"

"Will you both shut up, I'm trying to read!"

The two young men raise their eyebrows and shut up.

"Thank you! It also says that she was fifteen and a half years old when she started Med School."

"A little bit Doogie Howser, don't you think?"

"Doogie who?" Asked the Australian.

"It's American pop culture Chase. Just like when House called Foreman Doctor 50 Cent."

"He called me that?"

"At least he's not messing up with your nationality and calling you wombat."

They all turned back their attention to the computer and for a long moment they were all silent. Foreman was the first one to talk.

"I don't know for you, but I can't picture him with a kid."

Cameron nodded and said.

"I wonder what kind of father he is."

"Me I wonder how she survive being his daughter." Chase added.

Seeing the puzzled glances of his co-workers he continued.

"What I mean is, can you imagine growing up with House as your dad? Well Cameron, don't even try to imagine that, it'll be incestuous. But how could she survive 21 years with him, when we barely survived the past 2 years?"

Foreman smiled, then went to the door.

"Maybe… Maybe he is different when he's with her."

And he left the room.

"Come on Chase! House hates kids!"

The Australian got up and followed Foreman.

"You know what they say: It's different when it's your own."

Now alone in the conference room Cameron said to herself.

"I bet she's a real bitch."

TBC

**Author note: _Thank you very much for your kind reviews. I really appreciate them. Hope you liked this chapter!_**


	3. The Graduate

Chapter 3: The Graduate

The ceremony was way too long according to Greg House's taste. First Cuddy had made him wear the itchy suit with the strangling tie and the chairs, well-arranged under the hot June sun in the football stadium, were very uncomfortable. From now on the only part of the ceremony he had enjoyed had been Emily valedictorian speech. He had to admit that the kid was really talented. After her speech the Dean had talked for more than half an hour. Damn Cuddy for hiding his I-Pod and his PSP. Finally they were calling the graduate to give them their diploma. Gerber, Goldman, Goldsmith, Gullia…

"Wilson you got your camera?"

"It's rolling Cuddy!"

They both got up, following the youngest graduate with their camera as the Dean called her name.

"Emily Victoria House."

The father of the graduate then got up, put his fingers in his mouth and started to whistle. The young woman scanned the crowd and smiled at him as she spotted him. She was kinda tall, 5'8, had long curly brown hair and two big and deep blue eyes. He couldn't believe that he had created such perfection.

"You can sit now, House."

"Come on Wilson, let's go meet the graduate."

"But the ceremony isn't over yet!"

"Cuddy, my kid receives her diploma and she did her speech. There is no reason for me to stay longer. Stop looking at me like this Cuddy! Okay, let me tell you what will happen next; They're going to call letter I to Z, the Dean will say something really cheesy, the stupid kids will throw their hats in the air and if we're fast enough, we may even avoid my parents!"

The two others doctors sighed loudly before following the cripple to the exit of the stadium. They finally found the newly graduate doctor near one of the tickets booth at the main entrance.

"Mily I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks Aunt Lisa! Uncle Jimmy! Dad! You came!"

"You really think we would have missed this?"

"Well Uncle Jimmy, you're all three really busy doctors…"

The oncologist smiled then dropped a kiss on her forehead. The young woman started to play with the hat in her hand before turning to her father.

"Congratulation Doctor House."

The daughter smiled at her dad a hugged him. She gently put a kiss on his unshaved cheek and whispered in his ear.

"Thank you, dad. You being here mean the world."

"It's not everyday that a man can see his daughter graduate from Med School. You're really beautiful…"

He kissed her hand and added.

"Wanna go out for lunch?"

"Excellent idea! I'm starving!"

"You're always starving Uncle Jimmy. Does Julie feed you?"

The three others laughed at the young woman comment.

"So now, Doctor House, what are you going to do? I have an opening in the pediatric department… And if it's not enough, I'm sure your dad won't say no to a brand new pediatrician specialize in infectious decease."

"Thanks Aunt Lisa… But I already receive an offer from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. I said yes, but I can always…"

"Oh, Emily don't! SickKids is an excellent hospital! It's just…"

"In Toronto, Canada…"

House sighed before cutting Wilson.

"What they mean is, are you sure about Toronto? They think they are the center of the universe, there was the SARS, their hockey team sucks as well as their baseball team and I'm not talking about the basketball one…"

He was then punch in the ribs by Cuddy.

"Yes I'm sure! And if I don't like it I can always quit! I'm not going to sign any long term contract… Oh I'm so sorry, I completely screw the day."

"Come on Emily, you didn't screw anything! Today is your day. Here, let me help you take off your robe.

She did as Wilson asked. She took off her royal blue graduate robe to reveal a beautiful knee length dark purple strapless dress.

"Wilson, put that robe back on her shoulders!"

"Come on dad, it's just a dress!"

"A dress?! A dress for me is what you use to wear when you were 5! Wilson please, put back the robe or at least cover her with your jacket."

The oncologist looked at the young woman who raised her shoulders and put back the robe.

"But I'm not wearing it at the restaurant!"

"We'll see that!"

"Dad!"

"Eh… I'm starving here!"

"Well if you're so starved Emily will maybe drive you to the restaurant."

The young doctor laughed before answering.

"Come on dad! Can you imagine Uncle Jimmy on my Vespa?"

"No but I can imagine him in your graduation present. There is a gold ribbon on it."

He threw a set of keys at her. She started to scream ad to jump before running to the parking lot.

"I better go with her in case she faint." Said Wilson before following her, leaving Cuddy and House alone.

"God, it's seems like a lifetime ago when I was babysitting her for you. Don't you think House?"

"Yeah! You, babysitting my girl and me, trying to get you into my bed… Yeah, this place sure brings back lots of memories."

He waited a moment before adding.

"What, no punching me for bringing back the fact that in Med School I wanted to jump you?"

For only answer she smiled at him then kissed him on the cheek.

"Hey, does it mean that I can cancel my hooker next Saturday night?"

"In your dreams, Gregory House!"

"Great 'cause these dreams are filled with you…"

They looked at each other, unaware of the rest of the world and unable to speak. Finally they were brought back to reality by a jumping Emily.

"Dad! A Porsche?! Are you crazy?"

"Nothing's too good for you, princess."

"Love you, dad."

"Then come on, let's go for lunch!"

TBC

**Author Note**: Hope you liked it. Please leave me a little review!


	4. Back home to stay

Chapter 4: Back home to stay

Three months had passed since that beautiful day when Emily had received her diploma. Greg House was sitting at his desk looking at one of the picture Cuddy had framed for him while the Dean of Medicine and Stacy were arguing about his last law suit. Stacy… After a long reflection he came to the conclusion that he should have told Cuddy that he didn't wanted to work near her. He still couldn't believe that he had agreed to treat her husband… Being near his ex really made him do crazy stuff!

"Ladies! Not that I hate seeing you arguing about me, but I'm suppose to start Clinic Duty in 10 minutes."

"There's no need to lies House! I well-know that _General Hospital_ start in 10 minutes."

"Isn't she amazing, Stacy? She knows me better than if she had made me. Well ladies, lock the door behind you."

The two women watched him leave, the doctor sighing while the lawyer smiled.

"He hasn't change."

"You're wrong Stacy. He changes… a lot."

Stacy went to the desk and took the picture frame that House was looking at.

"Yeah for sure he changed. When we were together he wasn't the picture-on-the-desk type of guy."

"I'm the one who framed the picture. It has been taken on Emily's graduation day." Said Cuddy as she took the frame from Stacy's hands. "We were so proud of her. As you can see I even got House to wear a suit."

Stacy took a better look at the picture. Emily was surrounded by Cuddy on her left, her father on her right and Wilson behind her. The four of them were smiling, a big one for Cuddy, Wilson and Emily and an enigmatic one for House.

"She graduate? Already?"

"Yeah! Youngest of her promotion and valedictorian of her class."

"Well it's really family picture perfect."

Cuddy raised her eyebrow while placing the frame back in the desk.

"Lisa it's no secret that Emily never liked me and that she always blamed me for Greg's condition."

"You can't really be mad at her for that…" Said the Dean of Medicine while leaving the office, followed by the lawyer.

"And speaking of the little prodigy, how is she?"

Cuddy smiled and both women went down the stairs.

"She's doing great. She chooses to be a pediatrician with an infectious decease specialty. She works at SickKids in Toronto. She's happy, at least she sound happy in her e-mails."

"A pediatrician? I always thought that she would have followed into Greg's footsteps."

"What do you mean, into his footsteps?"

"Be an asshole diagnostician, a real bitch, a doctor with no bedside manner."

"If you say that then you never really knew Emily."

They entered the Clinic area, stopping at the Nurses station to collect some papers. Nurse Brenda came to meet them, handing a piece of paper to Cuddy.

"Doctor House check-in, he's in exam room 1."

"Thanks Brenda."

She put her signature at the bottom of the said paper and gave it back to Brenda. The two women then went to the Dean of Medicine office. Cuddy assistant was waiting for them.

"Doctor Cuddy, Doctor House is in your office."

"You sure of that" Nurse Brenda just told me he was in the clinic."

"I don't know for him Doctor Cuddy, but I know that she's been waiting for the past 20 minutes."

Without answering Cuddy gave the bunch of papers to the young man and went in her office.

"Emily?!"

"Aunt Lisa!"

"What are you doing her? Why aren't you in Toronto?"

"Well… I rented a U-Haul, packed my whole apartment, took the Porsche and pass the borders…"

"And what about your job at SickKids?"

"I gave them my two weeks notice… I… I know it's been three months… If it's not available…"

"You can still have the position, don't worry. But… does your father know you're here?"

"No… I haven't told anyone about my coming back in the States. I didn't want to… Stacy?!"

The lawyer entered the office and smiled at the young woman before answering.

"Hello Emily. Nice to see you."

"What the hell is she doing here? Does he know she's here?"

Cuddy was stuck between the two women. She knew that Emily's dislike of Stacy went further that the fact that, like Emily used to said, she screw her father's life.

"He knows she's here Emily." Said Cuddy.

"In fact I work here."

"Your dad treated her husband some time ago. She's been working for the hospital ever since."

The young woman started to laugh loudly.

"Did I hear well? Did you say husband?"

"What? Are you surprise that I move on after my break-up with your father?"

"I would most likely call what you did to dad treason. And no, I'm not surprise that you move on… What surprise me is that someone was fool enough to marry such a heartless bit…"

"Emily!"

"I'm sorry Aunt Lisa. I shouldn't have said that even thought I meant every word I said."

The dean of Medicine then rolled her eyes. Even thought she was an amazing kid, brilliant and smart, sometimes Emily House was exactly like the man who had fathered her.

"I think we should call it a day Stacy."

"Yeah Lisa, I think it'll be a great idea." Said Stacy as she left the office, closing the door behind her.

"Emily House! What was that?"

"What was what? Oh the words exchange! That was only me being my dad's daughter."

Cuddy sighed loudly before she went to sit in her leather chair.

"We didn't raise you like that Emily!"

"I like the sound of that: We didn't raise you like that! Make us sound like a family."

"That's what we are Emily. Your dad, Wilson and I… We are your family. A dysfunctional one, but still a family…"

The young woman started to blush before adding.

"Thank you Aunt Lisa… So, you got a job for me?"

The Dean of Medicine nodded.

"Sure, can you start on Monday?"

The young doctor smiled then threw herself in Cuddy's arms.

"Now go and tell your father."

"And where will I find him?"

"Exam room 1. But be quiet, he's watching _General Hospital_."

"You let him watch it during Clinic Duty?"

"I stop fighting with him about that. Once in a while I hide the portable TV or his PSP or even worse, his I-Pod."

"You're evil!"

Both women laughed before the youngest grabbed her purse and went to the door.

"I'll take care of the paperwork for you"

"Thank you Aunt Lisa. See you on Monday!"

She left the office, closed the door then bumped into a tall blond guy.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't looking…"

"Neither was I."

She smiled at the distinct Australian accent.

"Well let just say it was both our fault."

"Yes… Is Doctor Cuddy alone?"

"Yes she is. We just finish my… job interview."

"You are funny dress for a job interview!"

The young woman laughed. It was true that her old faded jeans, her Union Jack t-shirt and her leather jacket didn't really screamed professional.

"Well I'm not your typical person…"

"Robert. My name's Robert."

"It was nice meeting you Robert. Hope to see you around!"

And the she left to go to exam room 1. She gently knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

"I'm with patients!"

"Luke and Laura from _General Hospital_ are not patients dad!"

She waited five seconds before the door finally opened on her confuse father.

"Why aren't you in Toronto?"

"I gave them my 2 weeks notice, packed my apartment, took the Porsche then passed the borders. Can I come in?"

He let her in and asked her.

"Why?"

"Aunt Lisa offer to work here was better and the paycheck is bigger. There's also the fact that after more than 6 years apart from my dad, I started to miss him."

"And…"

"What? Missing you is not enough anymore?"

"Not when it's not the real reason. So come on, tell me why!"

"The Canadians are scary?"

She sighed before throwing her purse on the exam bed.

"People judged me! They judged me for being so young, for being SickKids youngest doctor… Man they even judged me for being your daughter!"

"What do you mean they judged you for being my kid?"

She started to walk across the room like a lion in a cage.

"There was the traditional _'She's Gregory House's daughter, you know the world known diagnostician'_ . After a few weeks they started saying _'She can't make mistake, she's the great Doctor House's daughter, eh!'_ And what's the thing with the eh? They can't say a phrase without it! I'm telling you dad, if one day you're tired of PPTH go to SickKids, they're in love with you! Or better, go to Sainte-Justine in Montreal, the French dudes thinks you're a God!"

The older doctor laughed before adding.

"And you really think thing will be easier for you here?"

"Well yes! At least here people will pity me for being yours 'cause they know what a jerk and a sorry SOB you are. And in case you want to know, Uncle Jimmy was the one who said that!"

"I think I need a nice little chat with Uncle Jimmy about what he can and what he can't say in front of you!"

"So you're not mad at me for coming back home?"

In one of his rare sentimental moment House took his daughter in his arms and held her close.

"No… I'm rather happy to have you back."

"I'm happy too, dad."

They stay like this a long moment before House's leg started to hurt and he had to pop a Vicodin.

"It's seems like I'm not the only one who's back at Princeton."

"You saw Stacy?"

"Yeah! I kinda had a confrontation with her. Well you know how much I always liked her. Luckily Aunt Lisa was there to control me. Who know what would have happen…"

"God bless Aunt Lisa!"

"Yeah… So I'll need a place to crash for a while…"

"The place is a mess, your bedroom is a storage room…"

"And yes, daddy dearest, I'm up for a cleaning spree! Or maybe you would prefer if I went to Aunt Lisa's or Uncle Jimmy's. I'm sure Aunt Lisa and I will have a lot of girls fun and I haven't seen Julie since the wedding."

She was going to open the door but her dad blocked the way with his cane.

"Here's the keys . There's only whiskey and peanut butter. I know you're not a fan of take-out, so you better make a stop at the grocery store."

"Cool! See you at 5!"

She kissed his rough cheek then left the exam room. House watched the door closed, smiled and went back to his soap.

TBC

**Author Note: **Again thank you for your reviews! I know House is out of character, but it is on purpose! Hope you enjoy this chapter and don't forget to leave me a review!


	5. Bad Day Part I

Chapter 5: Bad Day Part I

Monday morning. Emily House hated Monday morning. All the bad stuff happened on Monday mornings; her biological mother had abandoned her on a fine Monday morning 22 years ago; Stacy had moved in with them on a Monday; her father's leg pain, who had turn out to be an infarction caused by a blood clot, had gotten worse on a Monday morning… So today was no exception to the rule, even thought today she started her new job at PPTH.

She left her dad's apartment a little after 7am. Before leaving she prepared a fresh pot of coffee for her dad, as well as some breakfast. She knew that the previous night had been completely crazy trying to found what was wrong with his patient, a 25 years old male who went into cardiac arrest every 15 minutes. He had finally made it home at 1:45am – very unusual for him – finding his daughter half-asleep on the couch. They spent the next two hours talking and playing the piano. Emily knew that under his ruthless appearance Gregory House really cared for his patients. They finally went to bed around 4 o'clock Emily mad at herself for staying up that late and her father… Well her father never shows up at the hospital before 9am…

So after having been stuck in the traffic Emily arrived at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital a little after 7:30. She parked her car near her father and Wilson usual spots then took her white lab coat and her sport bag from the passenger seat. She took a deep breath and made her way to the main entrance. Although it wasn't her first visit to visit to the well-known hospital she kinda felt insecure. At least here people would expect her to be a heartless bitch instead of the perfect genius the people at SickKids thought she was.

"Please, hold the elevator for me!"

She started to run toward the elevator, praying for the people inside to wait for her. Finally both the man and the woman inside held the door.

"Thank you so much."

She entered the cabin then smiled when she saw who the man was.

"Well, hello Robert!"

The young man gasped before smiling.

"Hi! I… I guess it's your first day… I didn't know you were a doctor."

"I know it's difficult to believe it when you see me wearing normal clothes."

She pressed on the second floor button and the elevator door slowly closed.

"So yes, it's my first day. I'm the new pediatrician."

"Ah… But I'm being rude! I'm Doctor Robert Chase and this is my colleague Doctor Allison Cameron. Cameron this is Doctor… I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."

"The name's House. Doctor Emily House."

"What?!" said a very surprise Cameron.

"Did you say House? House as in Gregory House?" Asked a confuse Chase.

"Guilty as charged. He's my dad."

"You're House's daughter? The Lacrosse team Captain? The smarter than anyone? The amazing pair of legs?"

"I see dad played the proud father! Yes Dr Cameron, it's me, although I wouldn't qualify myself as smarter than anyone and, honestly, my legs aren't that amazing. But…"

She was cut by a loud noise and suddenly the elevator stopped.

"What the heel!" Said Cameron.

Chase try to press on different button then went to the emergency phone and try to use it.

"Nothing's working."

"Cell phones?" Proposed Emily.

The three of them started to search their respective bag for their cell phone. Emily was the first to find hers but all she could read on the little screen was no connection. Cameron sighed when she couldn't make her phone work. Both women looked at Chase who held his cell phone, confuse.

"My battery is dead."

"I hate Monday!" Said Emily

She threw her bag then sat on the floor. She looked at the two other doctors who were banging frantically on the metal door.

"You should keep your energy. Sooner or later they'll realize the elevator is not working. We don't want them to find you death of exhaustion. Frankly I don't like dead people, that's why I'm a doctor!"

"You're exactly like him!"

"Exactly like who, Doctor Cameron?"

"Your father! You're un-optimist, sarcastic.. I bet you're a heatless bitch!"

"Cameron! You don't even know her." Said Chase.

"And how would you know my dad so well? I know he's kinda famous around here, but still…"

"We work with him!"

"Well Cameron… It's more like we work for him."

Emily's jaw dropped. So they were two of her dad's _ducklings_. No way!

"You work for dad? So you're _wombat_ and _sexually-frustrated-doc_?"

"Sexually frustrated? House called me that?"

"No I made that up. But sweetie you really look like you need to release your sexual tension. Ever thought about using the service of a male hooker?"

Chase tried not to laugh but couldn't help it.

"Chase!"

The Australian smiled before gaining back his composure.

"I don't know about you two, dear colleagues, but a little bit of music will help me stay calm." Said Emily as she searched her bag for her I-Pod and her speakers. "Someone will maybe hear the music! Hope you like my musical taste."

She pressed on the _on _button and _Paint it Black_ by the _Rolling Stones_ started to play. She took her Gameboy and began to play. After 15 minutes she got bored and handed the game to Chase who, after losing all his lives, gave her back the video game. The music changed from the _Stones_ greatest hits to the _Beatles_' finest. Emily, who had started to sing during "_You can't always get what you want_", was followed by Cameron during "_Here comes the sun_". Finally Chase joined the two women during the last verse of "_Hey Jude_". The three of them then started to laugh.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the PPTH choir of the Stuck-in-the-elevator doctors." Said Emily.

"God! What time is it?" Asked Cameron

"Well Cameron, it's a little after 8:15." Sighed Chase.

"At least they'll be able to contact Foreman if there's an emergency…"

"Who's Foreman? The third _duckling_?" Asked Emily.

Cameron raised a brow.

"Yeah… But didn't House talk to you about us?"

The young woman raised her shoulders.

"He never really talked about his job. Sure, he talks about Aunt Lisa and Uncle Jimmy… When he talks about his "_ducklings_" he use nicknames… Like _wombat_. But anyway dad did call me last December about an epidemic in the nursery. He wanted to have my professional opinion. What? Why are you smiling Doctor Chase?"

"It's weird, hearing House being call "dad". He must have been pretty young when he had you?"

"You are right, he was young."

Cameron continued.

"You see your… father never said anything about having a kid, let alone one as old as you."

The young Doctor House smiled. Yeah… It sure was in her dad habit to keep such a big information about his life a secret.

"And how did you learn about my existence? Did dad let it slipped one day that he had fathered an offspring?"

"When he went to your graduation with both Doctors Cuddy and Wilson… We were curious so Cameron started to search the web."

"God bless the World Wide Web!"

"Where were you born?" Asked Cameron.

"Excuse me?" Answered Emily.

The other young woman fixed her and repeated.

"I'm asking you, where were you born?"

Emily was shocked. Why would Allison Cameron wants to know the name of the place where she was born?

"I was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Why?"

"Curiosity. And who's your mother?"

"Cameron!"

"Who do you think you are? Barbara Walters? You want to ask me personal questions, go ahead! Then after that, if you want, we'll do the _Actors Studio_ questions, you know the one where I tell you my favorite curse word and what I want God to tell me at the Pearly Gates!"

After a long moment and an uncomfortable silence Emily finally said.

"Dad met her during Christmas break… She was two years older than him and… To make a long story short she gave birth to me, tracked down dad and abandoned me on his doorstep when I was a week and a half. I never wanted to meet her, but I know she tried to contact me when I was 10… Remorse for giving up her child! But dad made it clear that she hade lost whatever right she had the day she left me… Does it answer your question, Doctor Cameron?"

The immunologist nodded.

"As for my favorite curse word, it's shit. And I would like God to tell me something like: We were only waiting for you, now let's get this party started!"

Chase smiled at her comment.

"So… Doctor Chase, are you a hockey fan?"

TBC

**Author note: **Thanks for your reviews! I'm looking for a beta, so for the next chapters I should have less spelling and grammar mistake. Again thank you and leave me a review!


	6. Bad Day Part II

Chapter 6: Bad Day part II 

5 hours had passed since Emily House had stepped into that damn elevator. 5 hours of being stuck in that small space with two of her dad's _ducklings_. She had started to like the Australian, Doctor Chase. He was nice, had a cute accent and, honestly, he was really good looking. As for Doctor Cameron… That was a totally different thing. She didn't know why, but there was something about the immunologist that bugged her. Maybe it was her curiosity and all her questions.

Two hours after the doom elevator had stopped working someone finally realized that something was wrong. The maintenance guy had been able to put enough power to make the emergency phone work, but ever since nothing else had happened.

"How long?" asked Emily.

"5 hours and… 18 minutes." answered Chase, tired.

Soon after the beginning of the blackout the air-conditioning had stopped, turning the elevator into an oven. The three doctors had taken off their lab coats. Chase had unbuttoned his shirt and loosened his tie, Cameron had taken off her sweater and Emily was now in a pink tank top.

"Doctor Chase? Doctor Cameron? Doctor House? Do you hear me?"

The maintenance guy! Chase took the emergency phone and answered.

"Yes, we can hear you!"

"Please, tell us you got good news!" said Emily.

"We'll put back the power. You'll hear a big bang, then everything should go back to normal."

"I hope so!" said Cameron.

They waited a minute then heard the said band before the elevator started to move again. The three doctors got up and started to put back their clothes. The doors opened on a rather bored Doctor Gregory House.

"Well, well, well… Your little threesome's finally over?" asked the diagnostician.

The pediatrician smiled before stepping out of the elevator and kissing her father's rough cheek.

"Daddy…"

"Daughter. I guess I don't need to introduce you to these two?"

The young woman nodded and turned to face the two _ducklings_.

"No you don't need to. We're the best of friends now!"

The immunologist and the intensivist were both speechless.

"Are you hungry dad?"

"Yeah! Let's find Wilson and we're out."

"Don't tell me you still make him pay for you?"

"Em…"

She sighed and gave up.

"Robert… Doctor Cameron… It was a pleasure."

She took her sport bag and followed her father to the oncology wing.

"Robert?!" asked House

"Dad, please!"

"So… How's the first day?"

The young woman stopped and said "You really need to ask? 'Cause I'm sure I look like a mess. I just hope Aunt Lisa won't be mad at me for missing my first day."

"You're not serious I hope?" laughed House. "It's not like you sabotaged the elevators. And Cuddy will never get mad at you… You're her little sweetheart!"

"Sure, fine, whatever! Anyway… how was your morning?"

"Boring! Couldn't go to my office because of the elevator blackout so your dear Auntie Lisa made me do clinic duty."

"And how many patient did you see?"

"2… a boy with the flu bug and his mother who had herpes."

"And I guess the mother wasn't the initial patient, right?"

"Did I told you how smart you are?"

The daughter laughed and said "Not lately."

They finally made it to the cancer department. They found Wilson outrageously flirting with one of the nurse.

"Is it me or is he heading toward a third divorce and a fourth marriage?"

"You know Wilson, he never learns from his mistakes. But yeah, I'll may have to write another awful best man speech."

"Like you'll miss a chance to embarrass him! At least for the last ones you were best man. I was a frigging flower girl for each one of them! At my age! Hopefully I'll be promoted to full bridesmaid for the next one. Or I'll be the bride."

"Wha… What?!"

The young woman started to laugh hysterically.

"Dad if only you could see your face, it's priceless!"

"What's so funny?" asked a clueless Wilson

"Nothing! I was only telling dad a joke."

"Doesn't look like a funny one to me."

House sighed then said "No it wasn't Wilson! Now let's go!"

"And where are we going?"

"You are taking us out for lunch, Uncle Jimmy."

"Again?"

"The girl just spent her morning stuck in an elevator with Cameron and Chase! You owe her a lunch!"

"And as her father you don't?"

"Wilson, Wilson, Wilson… I paid for her schooling and I bought her a Porsche for her graduation, so I think it's your turn to spoil her a little bit. So you coming?"

"Yeah…"

The cripple open the way, followed by his daughter and his friend. When the distance between her father and them became bigger, Emily whispered into Wilson's ear "Don't worry, unlike dad I'm old enough and nice enough to pay my own bill."

House turned around and said "How many times will I have to tell that you can take advantage of Wilson's naivety!"

"Too many times dad. Now let's go!"

TBC

**Author notes**: I'm so sorry about the delay. I moved back to the east coast (I was living in the Canadian Rockies) so I didn't have time to update. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't forget, leave me a review.


	7. What you see is what you get

Chapter 7: What you see is what you get

While Emily was waiting in line at the cafeteria, House and Wilson went to sit at one of the last few table left. The young woman took three bottles of Fiji water and put her order.

"I'll take a chicken Caesar salad and two Rubens without pickles with Thai salad on the side… Oh and please I'm serious about the pickles, I got a deadly allergy. Thanks."

She then turned back her attention to her copy of Us Weekly that she had bought at the newspapers stand. She smiled while reading an article about Paris Hilton's last misadventure.

"Excuse me…"

She turned around to face a man in a wheelchair trying to pick up a bottle of Perrier.

"Could you give me a hand?"

"Yeah, sure. Here!"

The man took the bottle that she handed him before adding.

"Thank you. It's just that I'm not use to, you know, be in a wheelchair."

"I bet no one get use to that." said the young doctor as she took the plates that were handed to her. "Can I do anything else for you?"

The man smiled and said "No thanks. I'm meeting my wife and someone must be waiting for you 'cause even if you're starving I can't imagine you eating all this food."

"You're right." she laughed. "I'm having lunch with my father and my uncle. It was my turn to buy."

"Then enjoy your lunch…"

"Emily. Please, call me Emily."

The man smiled back. "Nice to meet you Emily. I'm Mark."

She went to the cashier, paid her bill and went to her table.

"You took your time!"

"Sorry dad, I helped someone on the way. So here's your chicken Caesar salad, Uncle Jimmy, and two Rubens pickles-free for you and I dad."

She handed Wilson a bottle of water then sat down in front of her father.

"Hum… What's that?" asked a rather confused Gregory House.

"That, daddy, is a pickles-free Ruben with a bottle of Fiji water. What? You didn't want a Ruben?"

Wilson laughed at the confused diagnostician. "I think he's talking about the Thai salad."

"Oh that! It's for your cholesterol." said Emily before taking a bite of her Ruben.

House was speechless. "My cholesterol?!"

The young woman smiled angelically and answered. "Yeah, I ask Aunt Lisa to update me on your medical situation. You're still in a pretty good shape for your age and medical condition… but your cholesterol is a little high. So I think you should watch what you eat. From now on we'll eat salad and vegetables instead of fries and we'll definitely cut the take-out and the fast food. You know our family history: they all had high cholesterol and heart condition. Now that I'm back home I'm going to take care of you."

"She updated you?" shouted House. "It's more like she gave you my medical record! What about doctor-patient confidentiality!"

"Said the man who send his ducklings search his patients' home because, according to him, everybody lies! Come on House, the girl love you and she's concern about your health."

"Thank you Uncle Jimmy… But dad got a point. I'm sorry I ask Aunt Lisa… It's just that it's been so long since I've really been home. I… I hate to see you sick… hurt… You can't imagine how hard it is to see you limp… to see you pop Vicodin day after day after day… If I had said something back then, if I had…" She stopped in the middle of her sentence and frowned. "Here comes She-Devil!"

"What? Who?"

Before the young woman could answer Wilson's questions Stacy, AKA She-Devil, came to their table.

"Jimmy… Greg… Emily…"

"Stacy… How are you today?"

"I'm fine Jimmy. Actually I'm having lunch with my husband."

House let out a sigh and said, "You didn't bail out of him yet? I mean, you left me three months after I became a cripple. It must be an all time record for you!"

"Should I recall you that you pushed me to leave? And Emily was also part of the reason. You never really liked me."

"Well you're right Stacy! I never liked you and I still don't like you. I doubt I'll ever like you. But you feel the same right? You don't like me either. Now if you'll excuse us we were enjoying our lunch before you interrupt us!"

"Ah! Look at how she's acting! When I was with you Greg I had to deal with that all the time!" said a shocked Stacy.

"I bet you're happy that you don't have to put up with my daughter's attitude." said House. "As for me I admire her perky, bitchy, daddy's little girl attitude."

The young paediatrician smiled and kissed her father's check. "Thanks for the vote of confidence dad."

"Stacy? Is there a problem, honey?"

They all turn to see a confused Mark in his wheelchair, waiting for an explanation.

"You? You're She-Devil's husband?" asked a surprised Emily.

"She-Devil? What is she… Wait a minute! You're his daughter? You're the Brat?"

"Wow Stacy! Love the nickname!" ironically said Emily. "Yeah I'm his daughter, the Evil's Spawn. And you're her husband? Man you're a saint!"

"Well… Mark this is Emily…"

"There's no need honey", interrupted Mark, "we already met. I thought you said she was a kid, not an all grown-up…"

An awkward silence fell on the group.

"I'm sorry… I got to go… I have a lot of appointment…" said Wilson.

"Come on Emily, that's our cue to leave them alone. I'm sure they have a lot of explaining to do." Quickly said House while picking up his cane.

"I'm coming dad. Mark it was a pleasure. Stacy…"

She picked up her bag and followed her dad out of the cafeteria.

"Honey, she doesn't look that bad."

"Yeah… She's only acting like a spoiled brat around me. Let's find us a table and eat."

* * *

The elevator ride was long. Normally, when alone with her dad, Emily was rather chatty. But today…

"Okay go ahead. Tell me!" said the young woman while pushing the elevator stop button.

"Thank God you're my daughter 'cause if you weren't people would get some idea."

Emily let out a long sigh." Come on, shout! I'm immune to your… jerk attitude! I mean it's in my gene."

"What do you want me to do? Tell you what you did, how you act with Stacy was wrong, that you shouldn't have act like that? No way! If I had been you I would've done the same thing."

Emily's only reaction was to start crying. House rolled his eyes before taking her in his arms.

"I'm so… so sorry dad. It's not me… I'm not like that usually. God I must be pms-ing."

"Please Em, it's one of the few subject I refuse to talk with you. Go see your Aunt Lisa! She's the girly stuffs expert!"

The young woman started to laugh.

"Here, that's my girl. You'll have to get use to be like that around here. I got a reputation to keep up!"

"Thanks daddy. I love you."

"Love you too. Now dry those tears and put back your smile… Otherwise you'll scare the kids and I don't think Aunt Lisa would like that."

He pushed the stop button and, five seconds later, the doors opened on Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital Pediatric Wing.

**Author note: **I'm so sorry about the delay, but I'm working in the tourism industry and well you can imagine that summer is the busiest season for us people in the hotel industry. Anyway hope you liked this chapter, the next one is almost finish and will take place 2-3 months later. So thank you and leave a review! - Lara


	8. The Beat Goes On

Chapter 8: The Beat Goes On

A week passed, then another one. Slowly it turns into month and the holiday season was now knocking at the door. Emily's integration to the hospital went smoothly. Her colleagues loved her, they found her smart and funny and they all agreed that she always knew how to deals with the kids – even the most difficult ones. Unfortunately her head of department, Doctor Herman Horowitz, had a little bit of prejudice against her: her father. It seemed like good old Horowitz was scared to death of Gregory House. The result was that her office ended up a floor down from ped, right next to her dad's and Uncle Jimmy's.

So apart from Horowitz pretty much everybody liked Emily. She quickly met the third and last duckling, Eric Foreman. Against her father's wish she started to form a bond with his two male fellows. They frequently went out for drinks, something that really annoyed Cameron. But then Cameron was Emily's last worry.

So here was Emily, three weeks before Xmas, on her way to the clinic, talking to her dad via bluetooth.

"Dad I really need to know what holiday we're celebrating this year. Are we a Hanukkah or a Xmas year?"

She opened the clinic doors, took the charts Nurse Brenda was handing her and went to exam room 4.

"What do you mean you don't know? How the hell can you not know? You're the one who instigate that! Okay, Aunt Lisa, Uncle Jimmy and you! I would have been happy and emotionally stable with a simple Chrismukkah!"

She put her stuff on the door hook and put on her lab coat.

"Anyway Granny called… again. I thought I told you to call her back. Well it's not like you have to talk to him. So… I gotta go. Yeah I know. Love you."

She sighed as she put her bluetooth back into her lab coat pocket. She took her stethoscope from her bag and started to read the charts Nurse Brenda gave her. There were several cases of flu bug, some soar throat, a couple of STD and even a possible case of pregnancy. There was a soft knock on the door and the circus started.

A couple of hours after having enter the clinic Emily was surprised to see that both Foreman and Chase had come to pick her up to grab some lunch.

"Thank you so much guys. I really need a break. But where's my girl? Where's Cameron?"

"Well as soon as your name was mentioned she suddenly had a lot to do", answered Foreman.

"I think she's hiding in the lab. She's still mad about the whole Halloween thing Emily."

The young woman put on her winter jacket and exited the exam room.

"Come on Robert, she can't still be mad at me about Halloween? I was drunk, wasted! You let me drink way to many Sex on the Beach that night. I bet you thought you would get laid, didn't you? Oh my God! Eric look at him: he is blushing!"

The Australian was indeed blushing. "Well… I… You weren't the designate driver so there was no reason for you not to drink. And you can be pretty persuasive you know."

"I guess Mick Jagger was wrong the: I can always get what I want."

"Come on you two. Let's hurry up before we get page."

"Eric it's more like I'll get page. Dad's on his day off so it's a crosswords day for the both of you."

"Which car do we take?" asked Chase. "I doubt we'll all fit in Emily's Porsche so…"

"Let's take my SUV. But Emily, you sit in the back and you don't touch the radio!"

"But Eric your musical taste sucks!"

Chase laughed as his colleagues argued.

"Excuse me Doctor House!"

The young woman stopped on her way and turn around to face Nurse Brenda.

"I'm on my way to lunch, can't it wait?"

"There's someone who's asking for THE Doctor House and she won't leave until she see him."

"Too bad he's on an official day off. Tell her to come back tomorrow around 1pm."

"She won't listen!"

Emily sighed before adding "Send her to Doctor Cuddy, she's his boss for God sake. I'm only his daughter."

"Doctor Cuddy is having a board meeting… Listen, that woman seemed either desperate or determined to see your father."

"Okay I'll talk to her but you'll owe me one" she said before unzipping her jacket. "Guys I'm really sorry. You're gonna bring me some take-out?"

"Yeah, sure. A Ruben as usual?"

"You got it Eric. See you later guys."

"Bye Emmy" Said Chase as she went back to the clinic.

"Emmy?! She's the boss' daughter Chase! Even if you can't see it she got a big do not touch sign on her. I thought you understood the rule: we can be buddies with her but nothing more. I thought you had a thing for Cameron!"

"Come on Foreman, even if I had a thing for Cameron I'm not damage enough for her. Emily is different."

"Yeah, I'm sure she's different. You, Chase, are in love with the boss' daughter!"

"No! I'm not! She's just a friend I swear. Of course she's smart, funny, beautiful… But the fact that I found her beautiful doesn't mean I'm head over heels in love with her."

"You got a point: saying she's cute doesn't mean you're crazy in love… But the dreamy look you got surely does! Come on, I won't tell anyone. It's a brotherhood thing, you know, a secret rule."

"Thanks mate. But I'm telling you, I'm not in love with Emily."

"Yeah and House isn't addicted to Vicodin."

They then left the hospital for the employee parking lot.

* * *

Emily entered exam room 2 pretty pissed. She couldn't wait to get this thing done. She was curious to found out what this woman wanted from her dad.

"Hi, Nurse Brenda said you wanted to talk to Gregory House. Well unfortunately he's on his day off, so… If it's for a consult, he don't do consult, but you can always contact Doctor Allison Cameron, she's one of his fellow. If you're looking for an official apologize or anything regarding legal procedure, please see Doctor Lisa Cuddy, she's PPTH Dean of Medicine and his boss. Maybe he owes you money? I can make you a check if you want…"

The woman, a blond-haired forty-something dressed in what Emily supposed to be a Chanel suit, got up and said, "I just need to see Greg."

"Okay, so you're on first name basis… So who are you? One of his hooker? Don't worry; I know he used the service of professionals in the past… Don't ask how I know, anyway it's none of my business. But I didn't ask you your name…"

"My name is Tabitha Carter, I'm an old friend of Greg."

"An old friend of his? I doubt you are 'cause I've never heard anything about you."

"And you are?" asked the woman.

"Doctor Emily House at your service."

"I get it. He got himself a perky, young wife."

The young doctor smiled "I'm worse than his wife; I'm his daughter."

"His daughter?!"

"Yes his daughter. He never told you about me? I'm not surprise, dad is a very secretive man."

"I mean… Of course I knew about you… You're all grown-up and a doctor! Aren't you a little young to be a doctor?"

"Yeah I get that a lot. So… you're an old friend of dad?" she sighed as she took a piece of paper and wrote down something on it. "Normally I wouldn't do that, but it's been a really long day… So here's our home address. It's 221B. I don't answer continue knocking."

"Thank you S… Emily" said the woman as she left.

Emily sat down for a minute before leaving the exam room for the nurse station. She gladly took the cup of coffee that her Uncle Jimmy handed her.

"Thank you Uncle Jimmy."

"Heard someone was looking for your father?"

"Hum… Yeah, some woman, apparently an old friend of his. Totally screw my lunch plan with the guys."

"What's her name? Maybe I know her?"

"I doubt it. I mean, even I didn't know who she was."

"You spent the last 7 years away from New jersey honey…"

"Yeah, I know" she laughed. "At first I thought she was – you know – a hooker, but then she said her name was Tabitha Carter and that really isn't a hooker name."

"Wait a minute… Tabitha Carter? And what did you told her?"

The young woman put down the coffee mug on the nurse station counter before answering, quite confuse. "I told her dad was on his day off then I gave her our home address. Now can you tell me who she is?"

The oncologist looked at his watch before answering "A long story Emily. I gotta go… See you later."

"Sure…"

As soon as he was far enough Wilson took his cell and dial House's phone number.

"House? It's me. Don't ask any question but Tabitha is on her way to your home. No it wasn't me nor was it Lisa. Yeah she saw her. If I had been there she wouldn't have. Okay."

Then he hung up.


	9. The Wicked Witch of the West

Chapter 9: The Wicked Witch of the West

Sitting in his living room Gregory House was waiting for his visitor to arrive. Ever since Wilson's call he had try to calm down. The half empty bottle of Jack Daniels and the now empty bottle of Vicodin were easy proofs of hit. Finally there was a soft knock on the door followed by the doorbell. He got up from he couch, grabbed his cane and went to open the door.

"Well, if it isn't the wicked witch of the West!"

"Hello Greg. By your reaction I can tell you've been warn of my arrival." said Tabitha.

"The hospital's full of my personal spies. What do you want? I thought I had made myself clear the last time."

"It's nice to see you too. Can I come in?"

"No. Listen I hate social call. So, let's get straight to what you're here for. "

The woman glanced at his cane, curious. "What happened to your leg?"

"None of your business. Now what the hell do you want."

"I saw her… at the hospital… She's so beautiful Greg! And so smart! A doctor, at her age! It must be a record."

The diagnostician sighed. "Yes, she's beautiful, of 'course she's smart and no, it's not a record – an Indian boy of 14 beat her. Come on Tabitha, I'm her father, I raised her so of 'course I know what an amazing daughter she is. So you saw her, what else?"

"At first I thought she was your wife." She let out a soft laugh. "When she said her name I didn't… The last time you never said her name so I thought you hadn't changed it. You always wanted to be unconventional, different from the other…"

"Well Tabitha there's a big gap between being unconventional and naming your kid after a city where it's always raining and an insect. Anyway Emily Victoria sounds way better than Seattle Butterfly. Too hippy for my taste."

"For me she'll always be my little Seattle Butterfly. I… I want to meet her."

"Looks like you already did." was House answer.

Tears started to fall down Tabitha's cheek as she pleaded "I know, but… I want to meet her as who I am."

The doctor laughed. "And who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm her mother for Heaven's sake!"

"No Tabitha, you're no! You stopped being whatever you were to her the day you abandoned her. You're nothing to her. She did well without you in her life and she'll keep doing well if you stay out of it."

"I'm dying Greg!" desperately cried the woman. "I have lung cancer and it has spread to my liver and… My doctor don't think I'll make it through spring."

"You don't look bad for a dying person." joked House.

"Very funny Greg! Can't you grant a dying woman her last wish?"

The diagnostician sighed. "You didn't give up you… baby, Tabitha. You decided to abandon her in the cold. A tiny one-week-old baby. You're lucky we were early riser or she would have frozen to death. You chose the coward way. What you did was selfish and heartless, and I know a lot about being heartless 'cause apparently I'm an heartless bastard, But as heartless as I'll ever be I would've never, you hear me never, been able to do what you did to my little girl. So no, I won't grant your so-called dying wish."

"Greg I'm begging you!"

"You don't have the right to beg. I asked you something twelve years ago Tabitha and I'm going to ask you again: stay the hell away from my daughter and I."

"But she must want to know who's her mother!"

"You really are desperate? No she don't. To be honest she never asked about you. I was lucky enough to find a woman who loves her as much as if she was her own."

"The dark hair girl from last time?"

He simply nodded.

"I don't see a ring on your left hand… She loves her but not enough to marry you. What a catch!"

"I don't need to marry her for her to unconditionally love my daughter. We were able to create a family, a dysfunctional but still stable family for her. Now I'll ask you one more time: leave us alone! If you ever try to contact my daughter you will regret it. Am I understood?"

"Okay… I must have been an idiot, all those years ago, to fall for you. Goodbye Greg."

She then turned around and left. House closed the door behind him and went to the piano where he poured himself a glass of Jack Daniels before starting to play some jazz.

Author Note: Sorry for the wait. With work and everything the last couple of months had been chaotic. And the writers' strike didn't help at all. So that was chapter 9! I know it's short but I promise next chapter will be longer. Hope you like it - Lara


	10. Have yourself a merry little Xmukkah

Chapter 10: Have yourself a merry little Xmukkah

Gregory House sat at his Baby Grand piano and sighed loudly. He couldn't even recognize his own apartment! Emily had transformed it into a freaking Xmas wonderland. And to top it he had to spend the whole evening with Chase, Foreman and his father.

"Greg, why don't you play something?" asked his mother.

"Of 'course mom. Anything for you."

Blythe sat down next to her son and closed her eyes, enjoying the music.

"How's you leg?"

"It's good mom. And you? How are you doing?"

"Ever since your father retired… We've been talking about traveling"

"That's a good idea. You always loved it."

"Yes… Remember when your father was stationed in Egypt? These are happy memories." She closed her eyes before adding. "I would have loved to see you when we went to Emily's graduation."

The diagnostician sighed. "Yeah… I… I went there with Cuddy and Wilson and we had to come back to Jersey early… You know, the job…"

"Don't… I know you Gregory House. I know how uncomfortable you feel with your father."

She glanced at the kitchen and smiled at her husband who was conversing with Cuddy and Foreman.

"Is it me or Emily has lost a lot of weight since last June?"

"Maybe mom… I mean it must be due to stress."

"Yes, being a doctor must be really stressful."

She smiled at her son and gently kissed his cheek.

"I worry about Emily", whispered Cuddy to Foreman when John House went to talk to Chase, Wilson and his granddaughter.

"She looks extremely thin, you're right. She work too much and… She doesn't take care of herself."

"I'm afraid it's too much for her. She's an over-achiever… Did you know that her last year of Med School she only had one class to finish so she started her Intern year… The Dean of Ann Arbor always had a soft spot for House so she kind of got special treatment. She's such a sweet and amazing girl… And so stubborn when she wants!"

"You're like my mother when she talk about us kid."

Cuddy smiled. "I've known her almost all her life. I watched her become the young woman she is today. She's… She's like a daughter to me."

"And you're like a mother to me" said Emily, hugging her. "An over-protective mother in fact."

"Is dinner ready sweetie?"

"Yes, I just need help with the turkey and Uncle Jimmy and Robert are too busy listening to Grampa's war stories."

"I'll take care of the turkey" said Foreman. "Just relax for once."

The young woman muttered a thank you before following the Dean of Medicine to the living room.

"How are you doing Emily?" finally asked Cuddy.

"I'm good. Tired, but good. Doctor Horowitz offered me to take some time off, but I refused. I mean, I'm doing my residency, I can't just take off!"

" I'm the Dean of Medicine! If I tell you to go on vacation you go on vacation!"

"Ma'am, yes, Ma'am!"

"I'm not kidding Emily. Look at you: you're as thin as a stick."

"I'm just tired and stressed. Don't worry: as soon as the holidays are over everything will go back to normal."

"Hey Cuddles! Emily! Dinner is served!"

"We're coming Dad!"

They sat down and served themselves.

"Why did you resign from your Toronto hospital Emily?" asked John House, breaking the silence.

"Well Grampa, I got homesick and I missed dad."

"I told you it was crazy to send her to Med School at her age!"

"Grampa _I _decided to go to Med School. Dad would've preferred for me to stay home and complete my schooling normally. But that's not what I wanted. As for SickKids… I didn't fit there, it wasn't my place. Here in Jersey… I'm home, Grampa. I have friends and family here!"

"You mean you got your father and your friends."

"No Grampa! I got my family: dad, Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Lisa. Like it or not they are my family."

John sighed loudly. "Aunt Lisa? Uncle Jimmy? You're not even related to them."

"We may not be related, Mr House, but I can assure you we love her very much" said Cuddy.

"Lisa, John doesn't doubt your love for Emily…" started Blythe.

"But you are not her mother! She already has a mother and because of my son's stubbornness she's not in her life."

"Her mother?! You want to talk about her mother? The bitch who abandoned her? It wasn't stubbornness dad: I was only trying to protect my daughter."

"Greg you never gave her a chance to prove you wrong! Maybe she would have been an excellent mother…"

"Are you kidding me? An excellent mother? Tabitha? She left a week old infant in the cold…"

"Wait a minute! Tabitha? That woman who came to the hospital… She's… my mother?"

"No! She's nothing to you Emily."

"Stop lying to her Greg! Maybe she wants to meet her mother, to get to know her."

"Stop Grampa! I… Dad is right: I don't want anything to do with that woman."

She got up and went to the front door.

"Emily sweetheart, where are you going?"

"Outside Granny. I deed… I need fresh air."

And she left with no other word.

"Look what you did son!"

"What I did? I didn't do anything dad, except protecting her from that heartless bitch!"

"Greg, your language!"

"Sorry mom, but…" he rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to do my best for my daughter, I know it's not perfect, but I'm doing my best. Do you realize how much this evening meant to Emily? But no, you had to screw everything! Talking about that woman when you well know she's taboo subject. I do hope you're proud of yourself."

And then he got up, grabbing Emily's coat and reaching the door.

"And where are going?" asked his father.

"I'm taking care of my daughter dad, something you never did for me!"

And he left.

"Well… cranberry sauce anyone?" asked Wilson.

* * *

Emily was sitting on the front steps of the apartment, looking at the deserted street as snowflakes softly fell from the sky.

"You're going to catch a pneumonia you know" said House, putting her coat on her shoulders.

"Thank you" was all she said.

"Wanna talk about what happened back there?"

"Do we really have to? Okay… Why did she leave me? Why didn't she love me? Tell me dad?" asked the young woman between two sobs.

" I don't know… I asked myself these questions so many times… I mean who wouldn't love you?"

"Cameron" spontaneously answered Emily.

"Okay, apart from Cameron? You're… You're smart, funny and lovable. Definitely like me… minus the lovable part."

She laughed out loud, bringing a smile to her father face.

"Here… The most amazing sound in the world… After Hendrix's guitar playing."

"Thank you very much daddy."

"Don't tell anyone but I love it when you call me daddy" whispered the diagnostician.

"I… I want to know why she came back… Why after so many years?"

"She's dying."

'And she thinks that because she dying I'll want to see her? As far as I know Lisa Cuddy is the only mother I ever had. A mother's someone who loves you, who take cares of you… This woman… This Tabitha… She's nothing, no one. Am I heartless for thinking that?"

"No… you're not. You're not…"

**Author Note**: Here's chapter 10. I know, it's been a long time since I updated, but I was very busy between work and everything. Anyway, don't forget to leave a little review!! - Lara


	11. Fallin'

Chapter 11: Fallin'

After the holiday drama the Houses went back home, much to the delight of their son. Emily followed Cuddy's orders and took a week off. She went to a spa in New York, counting the days until she was due back. When finally she came back to Princeton she first stop at the hospital to check her message.

"Emily! I thought you weren't due back until Monday."

"Well Eric I couldn't stay away. Got any new cases lately?"

"Not much… We just finished working on a pro sport athlete."

"Yeah I heard about it on the news. Nearly made me miss the beginning of Les Misérables."

"Oh, so you did what Cuddy asked: you got some rest."

"I always do what she ask. So I got 2 massages per day, cried like a baby when Éponine died, ate a lot of hot dog and pretzel… oh and I forgot: ice cream!"

"Everything a girl can wish for, right? Comfort food and Les Miz?"

"You got it! Saw my dad lately?"

"Last time I checked he was in his office, hiding from clinic duty."

"I should have guess. I better go see him."

She turned around and suddenly got dizzy.

"Hey Emily, you okay?" asked Foreman, rushing to her side.

"Yeah… I must have turn too fast. I had a really light breakfast this morning…"

"Let me help you. You're sure everything's okay?"

"I am. I'll drink a glass of orange juice, I always keep some in my office."

"Here, I'll open the door."

He helped her into the diagnostic department conference room and got her to sit on the closest chair.

"God I feel awful"

"It's not the first time you lose your balance and get dizzy, right?"

"No… I mean it doesn't happens frequently…"

"When did it got worse?" asked the neurologist while getting her pulse.

"Just after Xmukkah… When I started to lose my appetite. Don't look at me like that! I know I lost a lot of weight. This pant, I bought it when I was 14 and the shirt comes from Macy's kid department."

"I'm getting your father…"

"No! Please… I don't want to worry him."

"Don't you know he's already worried sick about you? He may not show it…"

She got up, trying to him. "Eric… please…"

And she fainted.

"Emily? Emily!" he knocked on the glass door. "House! Get in here now!"

* * *

Emily slowly opened her eyes. She was lying on a bed, an hospital bed. She tried to get up but quickly got dizzy.

"What… happened?"

"You fainted sweetheart" said Cuddy, checking her vitals.

"Why am I hooked on machine?"

"That's because the ducklings are trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with you" said House, without even stopping playing with his video game.

"Dad? The… Why?"

"Well Emily, you're this week mystery."

"And why aren't… aren't you with them?"

"Hospital policy Emily. Your father can't treat you" answered Cuddy.

Emily sighed loudly and closed her eyes, a painful groan escaping her lips.

"My head is throbbing…"

"Foreman said you knocked your head on the table. You're going to have a big bump on the back of your head."

"Do you know… what the hell is wrong with me?"

She looked at her father then at Cuddy. They both looked clueless.

* * *

**Dizziness**

**Weight lost**

**Lose of appetite**

**Tiredness.**

"Okay… What do you think?" asked Chase, putting the marker down.

"Come on: it's clear she got anorexia!" replied Cameron.

"She's not Cameron! Have you ever sat down with her while she eats? She eats more than Foreman and I together!"

"Then she's bulimic. She got the profile of eating disorder: sport athlete, over-achiever."

"What if the apparent symptoms of eating disorder were in fact the results of something else?" asked Foreman.

"Got her lab results?"

"Not yet."

"Why search more: she's either anorexic or bulimic."

"Shut up Cameron! You don't know Emily at all."

"Oh that's true: I forgot you're friends with her. Foreman take her to clubs and you Chase you're worse with your puppy in love eyes"

"Are you trying to sound like House Cameron? 'Cause the sarcastic attitude really doesn't suit you" said Foreman.

Before she could answered, the three doctors pagers went on. They both look at it and went to the door, running through the corridors. When they made it to Emily's room the young woman was seizing and a terrified Cuddy was watching House giving his daughter an injection of Ativan.

" What happened?" asked Chase.

"She said she was having a light stomach ache and started seizing."

"By your face I can say you don't have a clue about what's wrong with her, right?" asked House taking his cane and facing his fellows.

"We think she may be anorexic… or bulimic."

"Correction Cameron: you think she is" shouted Chase.

"Did you at least order blood works?" asked the diagnostician.

"We're waiting for the results…"

"Do I have to do everything here? Do a brain CT scan. This seizure was not a regular one."

"House you can't…"

"Enough Cuddy! I won't let them kill my daughter!"

"House calm down, don't you see everything point out to eating disorder. She stopped eating normally… the drastic weight lose…"

"You're wrong Cameron. Emily wouldn't lie about something like that."

"Everybody lies, Cuddy. House said so himself."

"Not her… Everybody lies except Emily. So Cameron, stop being stuck on anorexia or you're fired" finally said House.

The immunologist was shocked. "You can't do that for no reason! He can't, can he Dr. Cuddy?"

The Dean of Medicine sighed. "House, you can't fire her… But I can take you off the case Cameron, and that's what I'm doing. Chase, Foreman, you're alone on this one. So get the lab results and do the CT scan ASAP."

"You heard the boss?" asked a grumpy House.

The three doctors left the room without any more words.

"I'll go collect the lab results, you book the CT?"

"Yeah. I'll bring Emily after… Cameron…. You really screw this time."

" I didn't screw Foreman! In the end you'll see I was right!" said the young woman, storming out.

* * *

Chase rolled Emily back to her room, Foreman on his trail. House was playing listening to his I-Pod, Cuddy was reading some paperwork and Wilson, who must have join them while Emily was having her CT scan, was on the phone.

"I got to go. They're bringing her… Of Course. I promise" he hung up and punched House.

"What? Oh you're back… So?"

"The lab results didn't show anything apart from a serious case of anaemia."

"Anaemia's normal Chase. Emily's got it since she was 10."

"And the CT Scan?"

"Nothing, so it must not be neurological…" said Foreman.

"How long has she been asleep?" asked the diagnostician.

"Ever since we finished the scan."

"Did she said anything? Pain, dizziness?"

"She's still complaining about the bump on her head" answered Chase.

"You're sure you haven't found anything with the scan?"

"No Cuddy. But we were thinking of doing a LP…"

"Thinking of doing, Foreman? You're not getting paid to think but to do!" screamed House.

"House calm down."

"Calm down Wilson? My daughter is in pain and we don't know…"

"Daddy?" whispered Emily.

They all turned to the young woman.

"Em honey, we're here."

"Aunt Lisa? I'm… It hurt so much…"

"Where? Emily look at me: where does it hurt?"

"It's like knife… Make it stop… Daddy… please..."

"Give her morphine!"

"Come on, it's too strong…"

"Shut up Foreman! My daughter is in pain, so until you and the wombat found out what's wrong with her you're going to keep her pain free."

Both Foreman and Chase looked at Cuddy who simply nodded.

**Author note:** So here's a gift, chapter 11. I wasn't going to post it until the end of the week, but I decided to post it early. Don't forget to send me a review!! ;) Lara


	12. Because I got high

Chapter 12: Because I got high

Watching General Hospital on morphine was the most psychedelic experience that Emily ever had. Her father was seated beside her in the tiny hospital bed while Cuddy was on the chair next to it.

"Daddy… Is Carly still married to Sonny? And how come Nikolas is Laura's son? And why is Laura in a catatonic state?"

House sighed loudly. "Yes, Carly is still married to Sonny, but for how long? Only the writers know that. Nikolas was conceived when the Cassadines kidnapped Laura after her first wedding to Luke. Remember the publicity stunt with Elizabeth Taylor just before she went for a visit at Betty Ford? And the reason why Laura is a vegetable is because she was told that she killed her stepfather. Apparently her nervous breakdown was so bad that she had some sort of body disassociation syndrome. As if!"

"Now I remember. That show is so cool!"

"I don't know how you can watch that crap!" said Cuddy. "I mean a body disassociation syndrome after a nervous breakdown…"

"Hush Aunt Lisa. Nikolas is talking to Lucky!" said Emily.

"What is taking them so long? Why don't they redo the CT scan?"

"Emily told you to shut up Cuddy."

The hospital administrator took the remote control from House and shut off the TV, causing groans of protestation from the father and daughter.

"Don't look at me like that. I bet you tivoed it."

The young woman started to pout while her dad sighed.

"Don't you dare pout Emily House. You're past the age…"

"But Aunt Lisa…"

"Okay, I'm out of here." House said taking is cane and getting out of the bed.

"Where are you going? House come back here right now! House you can't…"

"Where's daddy going? Daddy!"

"I'll go after him Emily."

"Don't leave me Aunt Lisa!" desperately said the young woman.

The Dean of Medicine looked at Emily then at the door before giving her the remote control.

"Here, watch General Hospital. Your Uncle Jimmy will be here in a minute."

"Uncle Jimmy, he smells like toast!" dumbly exclaimed the patient.

"Wonderful! Now go back to your soap and wait for toasted Uncle Jimmy."

She ran down the hallway and bumped into Wilson.

"Have you seen House?" she asked, out of breath.

"He went that way, but what…"

"Emily's watching GH, she thinks you smell like toast so go take care of her while I take care of her father."

And she was gone. She caught up with House the moment he was to open to diagnostic department conference room door.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm not going to sit back and do nothing. She may be pain free but something is… I… I can't even say the word! I can't say that my daughter might be…"

"Dying?" finished Cuddy, tears in her eyes.

House just nodded before brushing his hand on her cheek, wiping a tear.

"I won't let her die, you hear me? I can't let her die!"

Cuddy took his hand and, together, they entered the room. Chase and Foreman were both surprised to see them together, but didn't say anything.

"So… Where are we?" asked the head of the department.

"Well… We're looking into family history… Maybe you could help us…"

"My father has high cholesterol, my mother diabetes…"

"His paternal grandfather died of a heart attack," continued Cuddy, "and his grandmother of colon cancer."

"Oma!" shouted House. "Why didn't I thought of it first…"

"You think Emily has cancer?" asked Foreman.

"No, not cancer… Oma died thirty years ago. Thirty years ago medical imaging technology wasn't that advance… Oma must have been misdiagnose…"

"If not cancer then what?" asked Chase.

"Do a colonoscopy and a complete body scan. You'll find out what's wrong with her."

At this moment all four pagers went on.

"Seizure…"

"Again? Oh my God…" said Cuddy following Chase and Foreman. "House, you're coming?"

"Go ahead… I'll… I'll call my mother."

"Do you want me to stay with you?"

"No… Please, go take care of my little girl."

She squeezed his hand and left. House went to his office and dialed his parents' number.

"Mom? It's me… No, I'm okay… It's Emily."

* * *

The first thing she did when she woke up was calling for her dad. That's when she realized how bad her throat was hurting. They must have had to intubate her, she thought. She looked around, her vision blurred. She wasn't in her room anymore. In fact she was in one of the post-op room. That's when the pain became unbearable.

"Poor little thing…" said a voice who seemed so far away.

She turned her head and saw the smilling face of a nurse.

"Dad… I want… dad…" painfully said Emily.

"She's asking for her father… Who…"

Emily closed her eyes. Her head was killing her, as if it weighted a tonne – probably a side effect from the anesthesia.

"… is House. Didn't you…"

"… be able… her room?"

She finally opened her eyes to the tired face of Foreman and Chase.

"Hey… You gave us quite a fright Emily." Said the Aussie.

She opened her mouth, but couldn't pronouce any word. Instead a single tear fell down her cheek.

"Don't cry Emily. We'll bring you to your room shortly." Foreman took a little sponge and put it on her lips. "Your father, Cuddy and Wilson are waiting for you."

"And if it can make you feel better," added Chase, "you proved Cameron wrong."

A tiny smile appeared on her lips before drifting back to sleep. She finally surfaced several hours later – which felt like years.

"Wake up Beauty Sleeping…" softly said Wilson.

"Uncle Jimmy?" she coughed and felt a sharp pain to her stomach.

"Your dad and Cuddy fell asleep… Want me to wake them?"

She nodded and watched her uncle waking both her father and Aunt Lisa.

"Emily? Oh my baby… I was so afraid…" sobbed the Dean of Medicine.

"What…" she coughed again.

"Hey you." Said her father putting his cane on the railing of the bed. "How do you feel?"

"Awfull." Whispered the young woman.

"I would feel awfull too if they had removed 12 inch of my intestine."

She frowned. Her dad took a nearby chair and sat down.

"You had multiple perforations at the junction of both intestines. I think Foreman counted 9 of them. You were heading to a septic shock."

Her Aunt Lisa took her hand who felt so tiny and kissed it while she mouthed why.

"Crohn's disease. That's also the reason behing your weight lost. Your intestine was so inflammed that it shrinked leading to the perforations.You were bleeding internally, which kept you from keeping nutriment. Because of the intensity of your seizure, when Chase and Foreman did the first CT scan, they concentrated on your brain. And before you ask, the seizures were caused by the pain. It seems that you can tolerate a high amount of pain…"

"How did… diagnostic…"

"Oma. She didn't die of cancer. She must have had Crohn's too."

"Thirty years ago Crohn's disease could easily have passed for cancer." Added Wilson.

"Did… I really… proved… Cameron wrong?"

Cuddy laughed. "That you did."

"Where are… Eric and… Robert?"

"Probably telling Cameron that she was totally wrong." Answered her father. "And please stop calling them by their first name. I'm actually begging you, okay? It's just… akward."

"Okay…" softly whispered his daughter.

**Author Note: **This is chapter 12. A little autobiographical I have to admit… For more info about Crohn's disease go on wikipedia. – Lara

PS Don't forget to leave a review


	13. Better in Time

Chapter 13: Better in time

She was back at work 7 weeks later, too early to her dad's taste, but right on time for her. During her weeks of recovery her father over protectiveness became worst. He stayed home with her the first week then came out with a rotation system. On Monday he would stay with her, then on Tuesday Foreman, Chase on Wednesday, her Uncle Jimmy on Thursday and her Aunt Lisa on Friday. Weekends were spent in family – her dad, Aunt Lisa and Uncle Jimmy - watching old movies and Lacrosse games and playing on the Xbox.

So the day Dr. Abernathy – her surgeon – gave her the okay to go back to work she felt like a prisoner getting out of jail.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?"

"Hi dad! I'm on my way to work. Wanna ride with me?"

She was putting her coat on, while her father was on the couch watching a rerun of The O.C.

"What's the hurry? No one will say a thing if you show up late. It's not like you have a tight schedule today."

The young woman laughed. "Unlike you I love my job."

"Hey, I love my job too. I just hate interacting with stupid moron. You, you're like Cuddy and Wilson: you live to help moron. The only difference is that you choose to work with the helpless kiddies with the stupid moron parents. I really don't know where you get that from. Probably from your grandmother." He got up, took his cane and walked to his bedroom. "Give me 5 and I'll drive you to the hospital."

"What? I can drive myself…"

"You haven't drove in almost 2 months… And the Porsche doesn't have winter tires" he looked down and said, almost whispering. "I almost lost you once, I don't want to try it again."

Emily put her gloves on the couch and went to hug her dad. She knew how difficult it was for him to show his emotions and feelings.

"'Kay… I'll wait for you."

"Why don't you go heat the car? It's freezing out there…"

The ride to the hospital turned out to be long and boring. First, House refused to stop at Starbucks to grab coffee – caffeine is bad for you – then he drove like and old lady – stress isn't what you need right now. He dropped her at the front door and asked her to tell the ducklings he wouldn't be in before 11AM. She sighed and watched as her dad's winter car – a beat-up 10 years old Ford – drove out of the parking lot.

"And thank you so much daddy" she muttered to herself.

* * *

She opened the door and was welcomed by Gary, the security guard.

"Welcome back Dr House! I'm so happy to see you."

"Thank you Gary. Is Dr Cuddy in yet?"

"She was the first one in as usual. So are you back for good?"

"You bet I am!"

She entered the clinic and smiled at the nurses.

"Dr House! You're back!" said nurse Willa.

"We missed you so much! The clinic wasn't the same without you" cheerfully said nurse BJ.

"Well, I'm back. Brenda do you think I could bother Dr Cuddy?"

The head nurse nodded and handed her a cup of coffee. She walked to Cuddy's office, leaving the nurses to their gossip.

"Did you saw her? She looks like she weighs 200 lbs" said nurse BJ.

"Come on BJ, don't be mean! I saw her medical record when she came last week for her appointment with Dr Phillips and she only weighs…"

"Willa, BJ! You have no shame at all" Brenda interrupted them, furious. "Of course she gained some weight! Before the surgery she was under 100 lbs, which, for her height, is absolutely crazy. She's taking prednisone for God's sake! Look at her now: she's healthy."

"Whatever…"

* * *

Emily opened the door and smiled. Sitting behind her desk with tons of paperwork on it Lisa Cuddy looked rather busy. She cleared her throat loud enough for the Dean of Medicine to look up the paperwork.

"Emily! You should have call me, I would have come and pick you up."

"I wanted to come alone like the grown-up I am, but dad gave me a ride. Something about my car not having winter tires and me not driving for 2 months."

"I hope it's tea in that cup and not coffee."

"Well… It's coffee, but nurse Brenda gave it to me, so it must be decaf… Hey!"

The Dean of Medicine took the cup and went to the bathroom. She came back ten second later looking quite disappoint.

"Caffeine is…"

"Bad for me, I know. Dad kept telling me that."

"For once I agree with him. Speaking of your father, where is he?"

"He went back home and will be back around 11."

"So… Ready for the grand come back?"

"My grand come back… I bet Dr. Horowitz would have prefer if I had stayed home for another week or two."

Cuddy followed her to the couch and frowned. "Herman loves you. Everybody here at the hospital loves you Emily. Okay, except Cameron, but she doesn't count."

"Herman, as you say, may love me, but he's afraid to death of dad. And you know how dad is: as soon as he gets bored and General Hospital is not on he'll wander around the hospital… If he can't bother Uncle Jimmy he'll come straight to me – not that he's bothering me. He can be pretty great with children… You know he's funny and all, it's only when the parents gets involve that it turns sour."

"I remember when you were little… He used to give you piggy ride around campus. When he was picking you up from daycare his eyes would light up. And your first day at kindergarten… he was so afraid. He called your school ten times, just to make sure you were okay. You are right; he can be amazing with kids. He's a great father. It's a shame you're an only child."

"Don't say that! If I wasn't an only child then Stacy would be my sibling's mother."

"Maybe not…" whispered Cuddy.

Emily turned to face her, speechless. "Are you…"

"I always wanted children of my own. But I put my carer first and now… Now it's too late."

"Too late? I heard of a 63 year old Italian woman who gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy. Not that I'm comparing you to a 63 year old…"

"Well I'm glad you don't."

She sighed and went behind her desk.

"You love him, right? My dad, I mean." Emily finally said, breaking the silence. "I'm not blind, I saw you during all those years. Dad makes jokes, but he cares about you. I dreamed of the two of you getting together as a child…" she laughed. "I'll stop right here… I better go to work."

She kissed her cheek and went out.

"Emily!"

She stopped half way through the door.

"Even if I didn't have kids of my own… I always considered you as if you were my daughter."

"And you are the only mother I ever had…"

**Author Note: **So here's chapter 13, please leave a review!


	14. Sweet Child of Mine

Chapter 14: Sweet child of mine

It took Emily a whole month to get used to be back at work. At first she had been put on "light duty". She had several patients check up to do and lots of paper work to fill up. Two weeks later she was begging for clinic duty.

"You want clinic duty?" had asked her father in disbelieve. "I can give you my hours if you want."

She smiled at the thought of the argument her father and Aunt Lisa had after his last statement. During her third week, her father had been sent to Baltimore with Stacy, something about his Medicaid billing. She hadn't love the idea of him being with the she-devil.

Her over-protective father had asked her Uncle Jimmy to keep a close eye on her during his absence, but she had been able to escape her babysitter by doing extra hours in the ER. She knew her father didn't meant wrong, but she was now an adult for god's sake. She could stay alone!

"Emily!"

She stopped halfway through the lobby and smiled at Chase, running toward her.

"Robert, are you finished for the day?" she asked.

"No, we just got a brand new case. You're going out tonight?"

"I'm going home. I'll probably spend the evening with a good book and a cup of tea. I just received a batch that I ordered from Amazon."

"Anything I might know?"

"Some Judith McNaught and Susan Elizabeth Phillips."

"Are they famous pediatrician or are they specialize in infectious disease?"

Emily couldn't help but laugh. "No, they're romance novel authors."

"Oh... You read that type of book?"

"What do you mean I read that type of book? Of course I do, I'm a girl after all!"

The Aussie was now blushing. "What I mean is... You don't seems like... At your apartment there is no... There's medical encyclopedia."

"You think my dad would allow me to put what he calls 'housewives porn' next to his precious copy of Gray's Anatomy? They're all in my bedroom, not that you ever visited it."

"So... An evening of tea and romance novel... You don't want to give us a hand on with case?"

"And risk my dad's wrath for doing overtime? No, I'll go home. But if tomorrow your patient is still dying I'll come and help you."

She kissed him on the cheek and left. Her Porsche was parked in the employee lot which was half empty. She saluted the guardian at the exit and drove by highway 1. Arriving on the corner of London and Baker she cursed once she realized it was garbage day. She finally found a space half a block from number 221B. Picking her purse from the passenger seat she made her way toward the front door. Searching her keys she stopped a second. She could hear a cat moaning... or at least she thought it was a cat. The noise was coming from one of the bin. She slowly approached it and let out a cry of surprise once she saw what was in the bin. On top of several cardbox was a tiny baby, his umbilical cord roughly cut.

Without even thinking, she took the baby in her arms, close to her chest, and quickly dialed 911.

"911, what's your emergency?" said the operator.

"My name's Emily House. I'm a doctor at PPTH... I need an ambulance on the corner of Baker and London."

"Are you hurt, Dr House?"

"No... I'm okay... I found a newborn, in the trash... Please send an ambulance ASAP."

"A police car is already on his way, ma'am."

****

"Dr House! We have an incubator ready in trauma 5" said the ER resident when they entered the emergency room.

"Thank you. We'll need to take a look at the umbilical cord. Whoever did this didn't..."

They rolled the stretcher to the trauma room and several nurses and doctors soon filled the space.

"Dr House, please wait outside" said the main attending.

"But I..."

"I called Dr Cuddy, she's on her way, but if she was here she would also tell you to wait and leave us to do our job. And I think there is two police officers waiting to take your deposition. I promise..."

"Please... I'm a doctor too, I know we don't make promises. And do I have to remind you that I'm a trained pediatrician, I know I can help" she said, tears of anger running down her cheeks.

"They don't say you are your father's daughter for nothing." He sighed. "Go talk to the cops, then if we need help you can come back."

He closed the door, leaving the young woman on the other side.

"Are you Dr House?"

She turned around and tried to hide her tears. Two men were standing in front of her. One of them was in his mid to late forties and the other was younger, probably early thirties."

"Yes, I'm Emily House... You wanted to talk to me?"

"I'm detective Tritter and this is my partner, detective Branson" said the older man. "Is there somewhere we can go, somewhere private?"

"Well, there's my office... Follow me."

They went up to Emily's office, the young woman making sure her father wasn't around.

"I'm sorry for the mess. I'm a pediatrician and sometime I see patient here."

She begged God not to strike her for lying. Some of her dad's stuff were still scattered around her normally tidy office.

"Do you normally prescribe Vicodin to your young patient, Dr House?" asked Tritter, holding one of her father's empty bottle.

"That... They are my... My father came earlier today. He has to take Vicodin daily for chronic pain in his leg."

"It says that the date of purchase was five days ago... Are you trying to tell me that your father took 30 pills of an highly strong drug in less than 5 days?"

She was starting to really get pissed with this detective Tritter. Taking the bottle from his hand, she put it in one of the desk drawer and sat down.

"If you experienced the same amount of pain my father has to live with daily, you would also take 30 Vicodin in 5 days. I don't think you are here to discussed the way my father manages his pain so..."

"Please excuse my partner, Dr House" said Branson, sitting in front of her. "He used to be on the anti-drug unit..."

"My excuses, Dr House" said Tritter, clearly not meaning it.

"No problem..."

"We have several questions..."

She now realized that Branson was the good cop and Tritter the bad. She then told them everything. How after a long day in the clinic she had come home to find a newborn in the trash can in front of her appartment. How she had called 911 and waited for the paramedic to come.

"And you saw nobody?"

"No, detective Branson. The street was deserted. If I hadn't stop to search for my keys I wouldn't have heard the baby. At first I thought it was a cat..."

The detective nodded. He looked at his partner, silently asking him if he had any question. Obviously he had.

"Aren't you a bit young to be a doctor?"

"I get that a lot, detective Tritter. I finished high school in my early teen and went to med school in Ann Arbor. I'm a 2nd year resident."

"You have a pretty big office for a 2nd year resident..."

"I have my contact. And there was no other office left on the pediatric floor."

"How old are you, exacly?"

"Does it have anything to do with you investigating my finding of a newborn in the garbage?" she asked, annoyed.

"No... It's just that you seems too young. You might be lying about finding the baby... Maybe the baby is yours and you freaked out..."

"The baby is not mine, detective Tritter. Check with my colleague and they will tell you that I couldn't possibly be pregnant. In January I had a major surgery. I couldn't possibly hide the fact that I was pregnant. If you don't have any more questions I will ask you to leave right now."

"In fact I still..."

"If you do have more questions, I will only answered them with my lawyer. If you'll excuse me, I'll go down to the ER."

She got up and opened the door to let the two detectives out. Branson handed her a little card.

"If you think of anything else, please call me. My cellphone number is on the back."

"Thank you."

The two men went to the elevator and nearly bumped into three doctors following a man using a cane.

"Cripple guy coming through, watch out!" said the man.

"Sorry" said Branson, pressing the elevator button.

"This girl is hiding something."

"Relax Tritter. You want to believe she's hiding something, but I'm telling you, she's not."

"Yeah, and how do you know that? You were flirting with her! You were flirting with a potential suspect!"

The climbed into the elevator and the door slowly closed behind them.

"I wasn't flirting with her, Tritter. And a suspect? Come on, it's not a murder!"

"We don't know. The kid might not survive and if he doesn't it will become an homicide."

"You're not in New York anymore, Tritter. Princeton is a quiet university town. The worst we could get would be two drunk students getting in a fight."

The older detective took a pack of nicotine gum and offered one to his partner.

"No, thanks. You should try the patch, it worked for me."

* * *

**Author Note: So this is the new chapter. In my timeline we are now in mid-season 2. Hope you liked the little cameo appareance by Tritter.**

**Next chapter we'll have House reaction when he'll found out about Emily finding a baby in the trash. **

**PS. Sorry for the long wait - Lara K.**


	15. Big Girl Don't Cry

Chapter 15 : Big Girl Don't Cry

Lisa Cuddy was running down the hallway of her hospital toward the ER. The phone call from Dr. Pruitt, the ER senior attending, had put a stop to her bad set up. Unfortunately her date had insisted on coming with her.

"Lisa, I really don't know how you can run with these heels."

She sighed. "You didn't have to come, Joel."

"I wouldn't be a gentleman if..."

"Emily!" she said when she saw the young woman sitting in the waiting room looking extremely distraught. "Are you okay sweetheart?"

The young woman got up and threw herself in her arms. "I'm so scared! I didn't know what to do. I completely forgot everything I learned..."

"It's okay, sweetie. You did the right thing by calling 911."

Joel cleared his throat, making his presence known.

"Oh... Emily this is Joel Hagan. Joel..."

"I'm her daughter, Emily."

"Lisa, you never mentioned having a kid, let alone a teenager."

"News break, Jon..."

"It's Joel" the man interrupted her.

"Whatever. For your information, I'm not a teenager anymore. I'm over 21 and I'm sure I make more money than you in a year." She turned to Cuddy. "Were you on a date, mom? Does dad knows about it?"

"Dad? Are you married, Lisa?"

"Well... Emily, what..."

"I need you right now, mom. Unless you want me to call dad and tell him you started to date while you are still attending marriage counseling... I know you have problems and that you don't want me to take side, but if you started dating again..."

Cuddy was speechless. She really was her father's daughter. She sighed and finally turned to Joel.

"Joel, I'm so sorry..."

"Don't. I thought you were... Don't call me."

And he left. Cuddy turned to Emily who was now smiling sympathetically .

"Thank you, sweetie."

"You'll owe me for that. It's the second time I lie tonight. You know how much I hate..."

"I know." She kissed her forehead. "Now... Dr Pruitt didn't told me exactly what happened."

They sat down and Emily took a deep breath.

"I was going home... I was getting my keys and... I found a baby, a newborn, in the trash. In the trash, Aunt Lisa! Who does that?"

The Dean of Medicine couldn't believe what the young woman was telling her.

"A baby?"

"Now I know how dad felt when he found me on his doorstep... He is so tiny and helpless. And beautiful! You should see him. He's a fighter, I know he is..."

She was now sobbing and Cuddy did the only she could think of. She hold her and let her cry.

****

House was sitting in his office, alone in the dark. The ducklings were waiting for the result of their patient's LP and he was trying to catch some z's. If it had only been for him he would be at home with his daughter watching some rerun of General Hospital on SOAP Network.

"House!"

He opened his eyes and sighed.

"I was trying to sleep! What's the emergency, Wilson?"

The oncologist looked rather serious.

"What's the matter? Third Mrs Wilson gave you the divorce papers?"

"It's Emily. She's in the ER."

The diagnostician suddenly got up, grabbing his cane and walking out the door.

"Couldn't you say it the moment you entered my office? What happened? She was okay when she left earlier..."

"Emily is okay... She came in with a patient."

"She saved some old guy who fractured his hips?"

They stopped in front of the elevator.

"No, she... She found a newborn in the trash in front of your apartment."

"A what?!"

"A newborn. A several hours old baby boy."

"I know what a newborn is, Wilson. What I want to know is how could she found a baby in the trash!"

"It was garbage day..."

"Are you trying to be funny? My daughter who, at a week old, was abandoned by her bitch of a biological mother on a doorstep found a tiny parasite in the trash! My daughter who has a thing for little kiddie, found a baby in the trash! Who does that? I know kids can be burden, but the trash?"

"Are you reacting like that because someone threw their kid in the trash or is it because Emily found the said kid in the trash?"

Getting in the elevator, House punch the ER floor button.

"Do you even know what will happen next? Emily will get attached to the little parasite. She'll get emotionally attached and the moment social services comes she won't be able to leave them take the kid. Then she'll be heartbroken and who's going to deal with it? Daddy Greg! Why do you think she choose to be a ped?"

"Come on House. Emily's not like this..."

"You think so? Do you know how many doll I bought her when she was little? She had a room full of dolls. I'm sure she'll end up like Angelina Jolie."

"What? With a body to kill for and a guy as good looking as Brad Pitt? I'm joking!"

"You better be, pervert!"

They finally reached the ER. Cuddy was laying on the bench, apparently sleeping, but Emily was nowhere to be found.

"Wake up, Cuddles!" yelled House.

The Dean jumped and quickly got up.

"House! Don't ever do that!"

"Heard my daughter found some interesting stuff in the garbage."

"She's in trauma 5. She's pretty shock. Don't be to harsh on her."

"You left her alone with the parasite? Are you crazy or what..."

He pushed trauma 5 door and sighed loudly. Emily was sitting in a rocking chair, holding a tiny blue bundle and softly singing.

"It is the evening of the day... I sit and watch the children play... Smiling faces I can see... But not for me... I sit and watch as tears go by..."

"A Stones song as a lullaby?" asked House.

"You used to sing and played it for me when I was little" she whispered softly, kissing the baby's tiny forehead. "It was better than any stupid lullaby they made us learned at kindergarten."

House took a chair and sat down next to her.

"What do you think you're doing, Em?"

She looked at him clueless.

"He's not one of your doll... You can't take it home like one of those stray cats you always took in."

"I understand how you must have felt when you found me."

"No, you can't. You were mine while this para... while this baby is not yours."

"He wasn't crying, you know? He was just making those cute little sounds. Dr. Pruitt said he must have been full term. He's healthy, he did well on all the newborn test. Look at his grip!"

"Em... Em, honey... Give him to me."

"Look at him... Isn't he beautiful?"

"Em... He's not yours..."

His daughter shook her head. Tears were slowly starting to filled her eyes.

"I had to talk to some cops earlier." She let out a laugh. "The one that was the bad cop even thought he was mine and that I had threw him in the garbage. I would never do that, you know that, don't you daddy?"

He nodded. "Em... Give me the baby, please."

"He's all alone, daddy. I can't leave him."

"Social services will take care of him. They will find him a good home..."

"Can't we take him home, daddy?" she asked, plaintively.

"No! Emily, wake up! You're a brilliant young woman. You must realized that you can't..."

"But daddy..."

"That's enough Emily! You're not a child anymore! You're an adult, for God's sake. Act like one!"

The tears just became more intense. House was getting impatient.

"You gotta stop right now or you'll get sick. Do you want to get sick?"

He felt as if she was 6 again and was throwing a tantrum.

"I know I should leave him... I know he's not... But I can't. I just can't. I found him! If I hadn't stopped... He would dead by now."

Slowly House took the baby out of his daughters arms and put him back in the incubator. Turning back to his distraught daughter he didn't know what to do next.

"Come here, Em."

She got up and hugged him.

"I'm so sorry... I don't know..."

"It's okay. Daddy is here..."

**Author note: So that was chapter 15. Hope you liked it. I know, House is very out of character, but you have to understand how he must feel. I've made him into an overprotective father and he clearly doesn't want his daughter to be left heartbroken.  
I'm giving you, my amazing readers, the chance to help me with the next chapter (not that I have any writer block syndrome). What would you like to happens next? Send me your idea with a little review. ;) – Lara  
PS. Thanks to my girls Cynthia aka VancouverChick and Tasha aka JasperGirl for the idea of Emily helping Cuddy getting rid of her bad set up date. ****Luv you girls, this chapter is for you.  
**


	16. If I could

Chapter 16 : If I could

A nurse came and took the incubator to NICU. House led his daughter out of the trauma room to the sitting area where Cuddy and Wilson were still waiting. It broke Cuddy's heart to see the puffy eyed Emily.

"Wilson I need you to write Emily a prescription for a sedative..."

"Dad, no..."

"Something strong. Strong enough to knock an elephant."

Emily sighed loudly.

"Oh and on your way to the pharmacy could you tell the ducklings I'm going home and that I'm putting Chase in charge?"

"Chase?" asked Wilson. "Are you sure about that?"

"It's time he prove what he's worth" said the diagnostician, turning to Cuddy. "Need a ride home, Cuddles?"

The Dean of Medicine nodded. "Go pick up your stuff, I'll stay with her."

Fifteen minutes and a bottle full of sleeping pills in Emily's purse later the three of them were in House's car.

"Emily, take one of your pill right now."

"Why don't I wait until we're home. I'll fall asleep..."

"You won't fall asleep right now, you'll just be a little high. There's a bottle of water in my bag."

The young woman sighed and simple obeyed her father's order. She knew when not to argue with him and this was one of these time.

"Where are you going, House?" asked Cuddy. "You took the wrong exit. This is not the way to my..."

"You're not going home tonight."

"House, I have meetings all morning tomorrow..."

"We have a comfortable couch and my bar is filled with scotch."

"But I'll need a change of clothes!"

"You'll just have to wear one of Emily's old suit. You're the same size."

"Okay... But only because Emily might need me."

Baker street was filled with several squad cars and people were on their doorstep, trying to understand what had happened. House parked his beat up Ford behind his daughter's Porsche and went to opened the door to his apartment. Cuddy helped the half asleep Emily get into the house. She got her to her bedroom, helped her put her pj, gave her another sleeping pill and her meds then put her to bed.

She went back to the living room and took the glass House handed her.

"Thank you..."

He sat at the piano and started to play.

"What happened in the trauma room, Greg?"

"What I had predicted. She's already getting attached to the kid. She even ask me if we could take him home... As if it was some shelter animal. She reminded me of when she was 7 and she brought home that ugly cat."

"The one that had half a tail and was missing an eye?" laughed the Dean. "He sure was ugly."

The diagnostician nodded.

"Have I done the right thing? I always treated her like an equal... Like an adult. She never had a normal childhood."

"You did a great job, don't ever doubt it. Emily wasn't like the other children. She was always smarter. If you had treated her differently, if you had decided to treat her like a child when she was acting like a young adult she would have turn really bad."

"I... It hurt so much to see her like that. I'm her father I should... It's my duty to protect her, but how can I protect her of getting heartbroken?"

"You can't. The only thing you can do is be there for her."

He stopped playing and popped a Vicodin.

"She's going to want to keep the parasite... A parasite at her age!"

"You weren't older than her when..."

"I know... But she's not ready! She's... she's still my little girl."

Cuddy smiled and sat next to him.

"She's not a little girl anymore, Greg. She's an adult."

"It's seems as if it was only yesterday she was playing with her dolls... And now she's getting attached to a parasite found in the trash. I shouldn't have let her go to Ann Arbor... I lost so many years... I didn't see her..."

"Hey! Your daughter is a genius. Do you know a lot of children who at 4 year old can read at a second grade level? Who at 3 year old can play the piano like a little Mozart? You raised the most wonderful girl in the world. Don't you realize it?"

"I know. I see how wonderful she is everyday. You can't imagine how proud I am to be her father."

"It's... It's amazing. Everytime you talk about being a dad, your eyes... they sparkles!"

She put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, letting the music slowly pulled her into Morpheus' arms.

"Cuddles... Cuddy... Lisa... Lisa, I can't carry you to the couch."

She stirred and opened her eyes.

"What?"

"Lisa, I can't carry you to the couch, you know. Bum leg..."

"Oh, yeah... Maybe I should call a cab."

"You're too tired, take the couch and tomorrow I'll come to the hospital on time."

"You? On time? Hell will freeze over."

"Then I'm predicting there will be a snow storm in hell tomorrow."

* * *

**Author Note: I know, I know, this chapter is short. But you know what they say, short and sweet. Please continue to send me your idea for what will happen next with the baby arc. Your idea are amazing. So thanks to the one who send review and the one who PM me. So continue to send me review, I live for them. – Lara**

**PS. To Kristy who pm me, yes most of the chapter names are from song or lyrics, well except for **_**The Gradute**_** (I named it after the novel and movie of the same name). So this chapter is named after Céline Dion's song **_**If I could**_** from her Miracle album.**


	17. My precious one

Chapter 17 : My precious one

The next morning words that Emily House had found a newborn in the trash had reached most of the department of PPTH.

Emily walked to NICU and quickly found the incubator holding the John Doe baby.

"Dr. House... May I help you?" asked one of the nurse.

"I came to see how the baby was doing... The John Doe baby."

"Oh, of course. I hear he's your little protégé."

She smiled. "When will he be able to leave NICU?"

"Dr. Horowitz thinks he'll be able to leave this afternoon. Apart from having surfer a little hypothermia, he's doing great."

"Yeah... He's a fighter."

She walked to the incubator and opened one of the little door and touched his tiny hand.

"Have you called social services?" asked a voice in the entrance.

Emily turned around and smiled at her father.

"We did, Dr. House" answered the nurse. "Unfortunately they can't send anybody until Monday morning."

The diagnostician limped to one of the rocking chair and frowned at his daughter as he sat down.

"It's time to feed him" said the nurse to the father and daughter. "Would you..."

"Bring the bottle, I'll take care of it."

"Are... Are you sure, Dr. House? It's just that you don't seems like..."

"Believe it or not, but this tall and cute thing once was a baby. I know how to handle a newborn."

Emily smiled and took the baby out of the incubator before handing him to her father.

"You didn't talk much this morning. Did you change your mind?" asked House.

"Last night... Last night, my emotions were controlling me. Finding him brought back memories... I imagine it brought some to you too?"

The nurse finally came back with a bottle that she gave House. She stayed a moment, curious to see how the grumpy diagnostician was going to act.

"Don't you have other things to do?" snapped House.

She left with a sigh. House settled to newborn in his arms and quickly the baby started to suckle.

"You are amazing with kids, you know..."

"No, it won't work, Em. I'm not an old fool. I know all your tricks."

"He's all alone... What if it had been me? What if instead of leaving me on your doorstep she had threw me in the trash?"

"It's not you, Em. This baby is not you! And you're too young to want to take care of a baby who's not yours."

"You weren't older than I am when you got me! The difference between you and I is that I'm not a student anymore..."

"The difference is that you were mine! I had to take care of you because you were mine, Em. This baby, he's not yours. Who knows, his mother is maybe a crack whore."

"So what? My biological mother was a bitch, but still Aunt Lisa loved me." She kneeled in front of him. "You can't possibly say you feel nothing..."

"Emily, you know me, I hate kids! At least, the ones that aren't my own."

"Social services will need to find him a home. We could offer him a home, a family. He could be part of our family, daddy."

"Don't start with the daddy."

"What are you afraid of? He's just a tiny helpless baby! Look at him..."

House sighed. Giving Emily the now empty bottle, he put the baby on his shoulder and, like a pro, made him burp.

"Here, take him. But don't get attached to him. Social services will come, Em. They will come and they will take him away. There's nothing you can do..."

The moment Emily took the baby in her arms, he started to cry.

"You see? He already loves you."

"Em..."

"Hey little guy... Don't cry... I know..."

"Em... Emily... Emily House! Look at me!"

"What?"

"I'm your father and as much as you hate it, I know what's best for you. Getting attached to this child... I'm telling you, you'll end up hurt."

"If you say so..."

And he walked to the door. Before leaving he turned around and sighed loudly.

* * *

Later that evening, House was in his office, alone. They had found what was wrong with their patient, a severe case of syphilis that had attacked his heart and lungs. The ducklings were now going home for a well deserved rest.

"Did you talk to her?" asked Cuddy, closing the office door.

"I tried. But you know how stubborn she is" he said, taking his leg from the small ottoman.

"Like father, like daughter."

"And you, did you talk to her?"

She nodded. "She told me that social services wouldn't be able to send someone to pick up the baby until Monday morning. She also told me you went and feed the baby. That the nurse was very surprised by your natural talent."

"We're heading to a major disaster, Lisa. She said we could give the foundling a family. That we could be his family. As if social services would let her adopt the baby! She's a 21 year old resident who lives with her Vicodin addicted father."

"The way I see it, she's a 21 year old brilliant doctor who lives with her father who, yes, is taking Vicodin to deal with his excruciating pain, but who also raised his wonderful daughter alone."

"You're taking her side now?"

"I'm not taking anyone side, Greg. From what she told me, Emily only want to give this baby a chance in life by giving him what we gave her, a family. Your daughter is not ready for motherhood, she told me so herself."

"She's not ready for motherhood! I'm feeling better... If she's not ready for motherhood, then why does she wants to take this baby?"

"She wants him to have what we gave her when she was growing up. Yes, I know... You were only doing your job as her father. But what about me? I wasn't her mother, but still I treated her like my own. I loved her as if she was own. I know you don't want her to end up hurt, but one day it will happen."

"Are you trying to tell me I should let her... let her take the baby?"

"Who knows if social services will allow her to foster him? If they agree, then why not? It will help her grow, it will be an experience..."

The diagnostician took a deep breath. "And when they come and take the foundling back, I'll be the one dealing with Emily's broken heart."

"That's where you're wrong, Greg. I'm here, I'll always be there for you and Em."

She bent down and put a soft kiss on his rough cheek.

"Think about it."

* * *

**Author note: So this is chapter 17. Title also come from Céline Dion **_**Miracle**_** album. Kept sending me your idea and review. Luv – Lara K.**


	18. Come what may

Chapter 18: Come what may

Monday morning soon came and before she knew it Emily was walking into her aunt Lisa's office followed by her father to her interview with CPS.

"Ms Laporte, Ms Deveraux, please allow me to introduce you to Dr Emily House, one of our second year pediatric resident, and her father Dr Gregory House, our head of diagnostic. Greg, Emily, Deb Laporte and Samantha Deveraux from Child Protection Service."

"Nice to meet you, doctors House" said Deveraux.

"The feeling is mutual, right dad?"

The diagnostician nodded before sitting on the sofa. "Sorry, can't stay up too long, bum leg."

Laporte smiled sympathetically. "I understand, Ms House, that you're the one who found baby John Doe."

"Got his name wrong" interrupted House. "Nursing staff named him Finn Baker."

"They got tired of calling him baby Doe. Baker comes from Baker Street... The street we live in... The street where I found him..."

"That's a cute name, Finn" said Deveraux.

House sighed. "Why don't we cut the bullshit..."

"Dad!"

"House!"

"What? Come on, Cuddy. We both know that the reason to this interview is because Em here wants to keep the foundling."

Emily bite her lower lips. "I... Please... Please excuse my father for his frankness. He's the type of man to go directly to the heart of the subject. But he's right, I'd like to apply to become Finn's foster parent. I did my research, I know you're in need of new foster families and I think Finn would be fine with us. I know I'm barely 22, that I'm still living with my dad and that I'm in my second year of residency, but I could do it! I'm a pediatrician, I know how to take care of an infant..."

"We are not questioning your competences, Ms House..."

"I was raised by a single parent, Ms Laporte. A single parent who managed to finish college and get into med school while taking care of his infant daughter. If he managed to do it, then why couldn't I take care of Finn, be a great foster parent?"

"My daughter was never like the other kid growing up. What I'm trying to say is that she's a genius" said House. "She started high school at 12. At 15 she was already at Ann Arbor. She managed to do her intern year during her senior year of med school. You could say she's an over-achiever... but you don't know her like I do, like Cuddy here knows her. She's extremely mature for her age. She was alone at Ann Arbor. She didn't want to go to Princeton and refused that I went with her to Michigan. I'm not too keen with her taking care of that baby... Not that I don't think she'd be able to care for him... My daughter will make an incredible mother someday. Is she ready now? Probably not, but who knows if they'll ever be ready to be parents? I can say that I wasn't, but I did it." His pager went off and he sighed. "I gotta go, my patient is apparently still dying."

"Thank you for your time" said Deveraux. "Doctor Cuddy, could we go see the baby? We'll give you our answer by the end of the day."

"Yes, of course" said the Dean of Medicine. "Doctor House will show you the way, right Emily?"

"Sure. If you'll follow me."

And they left. Cuddy sighed before sitting at her desk. She closed her eyes and made a silent prayer.

TBC


	19. Gotta Be Somebody

Chapter 19: Gotta Be Somebody

Lisa Cuddy was used to crazy things when it came to Gregory House and his daughter. She first met House at a Ann Arbor mixer party. She was an undergraduate and he was already a legend, what with him having been expelled from John Hopkins. They flirted for a while, she gave him her phone number... Then he left. She wouldn't see nor hear from him until two weeks later when she stopped by the playground near the lacrosse field and met his toddler daughter. She was totally charmed by the cute little girl wearing a tiny Stones t-shirt. She started babysitting her in exchange of private tutoring. And one night, he gave her everything she asked for.

She watched Emily grew up and become the wonderful woman she was today. She always knew she was special, how many 4 year-old could play a song on the piano after hearing it one time? She helped her the best way she could, being the only real maternal figure in her life. She was heartbroken when she went off to college at Ann Arbor. She was only 15, so young... And when she came back to New Jersey when her dad had his infarction, she watched her clash with Stacy over what was best for him.

So she was used to crazy things coming from the Houses, but what was now happening was by far the craziest of things.

"You're kidding?"

"We are very serious, Doctor Cuddy. Like Miss House said earlier the State is in need of new foster family" said Deveraux.

"We interviewed some of the staff and they all basically said the same thing. Doctor House is definitely not perfect, the words jerk and asshole were recurrent... But they all said he was a devoted father and that he clearly did a great job raising his daughter by himself. The man seems to love his daughter unconditionally..."

"I know that, Ms Laporte. But you must have learned about his... how could I put it nicely... You must know about his addiction to Vicodin?"

The CPS agent smiled. "We have seen worse thing than that, Doctor Cuddy. But does the fact that he take Vicodin make him a worse father? He still put the welfare of his daughter first, doesn't he? Even though she's all grown up?"

"You think she is all grown up? Do you have children, Ms Laporte?" The CPS agent shook her head. "Then you don't know."

Deveraux let out a chuckle. "Neither do you Doctor Cuddy."

The Dean of Medicine suddenly got up from her chair and pick up the frame sitting on her desk.

"The little girl in this picture... She may be over 21 now... She may now have the right to vote, to go in bars... She may be a promising pediatrician... She might be all those things, but don't fool yourself. The job is never done. Her father still worry when she go out at night... I still worry... He'll never admit it, but House still stay awake until she comes back. So you're right, he still put the welfare of Emily first. Does the fact that he has an addiction to Vicodin make him a bad father? Of course not, but it makes him a difficult person to live with. Emily's used to it... I'm used to it. But he's in constant pain... And sometimes the pain is so bad it's unbearable. Are you making a good decision by giving him custody of an infant? An infant who will woke up in the middle of the night, screaming? It's neither a good nor a bad decision... I don't know a father more devoted to his child than House... I'm not trying to tell you that you made the wrong choice... I just don't want you to come back in a month or two and say you changed your mind."

Both agents look at each other before nodding.

"If you helped Doctor House raised his daughter then I'm sure you won't have any objection to help him care for baby Finn."

"What?! You... Ms Laporte..."

"Our decision is final, Doctor Cuddy. Now, if you'll excuse us, we are expected across town."

"We will give you the honor of telling both Doctor House the good news."

And they left. Now alone in her office, Lisa Cuddy let out a loud sigh. How was she going to tell the Houses?

TBC

**Author Note: **OMG... It's been so long since I last updated. I hope you'll forgive me, but between the Olympic hiatus and my job it's been quite crazy. So that's the new chapter. It is short, I know, but I'll try to put the next one soon. Luv, Lara K.


	20. It's the end of the world has we know it

Chapter 20: It's The End Of The World Has We Know It

When Lisa Cuddy showed up at his apartment with the foundling and a playpen, Gregory House knew he was screw. At first he thought the CPS had decided to give the custody of the baby to his daughter, but then his old Med School friend dropped the bomb. They had decided to award custody to him. Him, a forty-something single guy who, let's be honest, could be call a drunk, a jerk, hell a drug addict!

Cuddy spent the next hour telling him that it wasn't such a bad idea, that he was a very good father. Of course he was a good father, to his own daughter! He tried everything to get out of the situation, telling the Dean of Medicine that he was way too old to care for an infant who would wake up in the middle of the night screaming, that the baby could swallow one of his Vicodin pill and overdose... But there was no issue. And once she put the baby in his arms he knew it was the point of no return.

"You won't be alone, Greg... I'm here for you, I've always been there for you. And Emily will help you too, I mean she will probably be the one doing all the work. You can do it, I know it."

That's when Emily came back. She looked tired and, from her staggering through the front door, drunk.

"I'm going to bed" was all she said, not even looking at her father and aunt Lisa.

"Wait a minute, young lady..."

She sighed. "Please dad, drop the concerned father act. I spent the night in a bar with Robert, I got incredibly drunk, he didn't tried anything, even though I was more than willing to follow him home and he confiscated my car keys before dropping me here. I'm now heading to my bed."

House got up, the baby in one arm and his cane on the other.

"I'm going to be concern about you if I want!"

That's when Emily realized what he was holding.

"Why are you holding a baby?" she asked quite surprised.

"The CPS agents decided to give the custody of baby Finn to your father, Emily" answered Cuddy.

"To you?" she asked, in disbelieve.

"I know, I'm as surprised as you, but apparently I have one hell of a reputation as a good father figure. Honestly I'm not sure if I can do it and if it was only me I wouldn't do it... But for once I can't get what I want. You said you wanted us to give the foundling what you had growing up, a family. Do you think we can pull it? Together, I mean?"

It took her a couple of second before she nodded. She smiled at the view of the baby peacefully sleeping in her father's arms before a wave of nausea hit her. She ran to the bathroom, slamming the door. House laughed before turning to Cuddy who was smiling.

"Did I hear her correctly, did she said she had spent the night with Chase getting drunk and that she had wanted to follow him home for a booty call?"

"She did. But she also said he had done the gentleman thing and brought her home."

"We're lucky Chase is British... Anybody else would have taken advantage of the situation."

"Your daughter is a grown-up, Greg, even if you would prefer she was still a little girl. By the way, Chase is Australian, not British." She looked at her watch and sighed. "I better go, I have a full day tomorrow. You think you're going to be okay?"

"I think so... I've done it before, you know."

"Yeah..." she kissed the baby's soft forehead and pick up her purse. "Goodnight Greg."

"What? The foundling gets a goodbye kiss, but I don't?"

She dropped a quick kiss on his stubbled cheek before heading to the door.

"Oh and Greg... His name is Finn, try to use it."

When the door closed he looked down at the baby. He was still awake, looking at him with big blue eyes.

"I guess it's you and me now. I better start your television education and introduce you to the L Word."

The next morning Emily took care of the baby and let her dad sleep until noon. When he finally woke up he called Wilson, Foreman and Chase and the quintet plus the baby headed to BABY 'R US to get the furniture and baby stuff they would need. Emily was in heaven, she got all sort of cute little onesies, a state of the art crib, the matching changing table, a stroller with a car seat as well as a kangaroo baby carrier. They quickly settled into a routine. Emily would take care of the baby in the morning until she would left for the hospital. By this time he would be ready for a morning nap and House would drop him to the daycare center around 10AM. The diagnostician would take the evening and night shift, spending most of the time watching TV with the baby or playing the piano.

The reaction at the hospital went from the complete cry of shock, to the sigh of cuteness when the staff saw House walking through the hospital lobby carrying baby Finn in the kangaroo carrier a month later.

"Good morning doctor House" said Nurse Brenda, an unusual smile plastered on her face.

"Morning..."

The whispers continued until he reached the door to Cuddy's office. He suddenly turned around and fixed the nursing staff.

"Is there a problem?"

Nobody dared to say anything.

"I repeat, is there a problem?"

Nurse Jeffrey was the only one to talk. "It's just soooo cute to see you bonding with the baby."

"Bonding?" asked the diagnostician.

"Yes, bonding. It's the first time we see you and the baby together."

"Go take your hormones and stop bothering me" answered House, clearly annoyed.

"I'm going directly to HR!" shouted the male nurse closing the files he was carrying.

"Yeah do that and while you're there why don't you ask them to give you gender appropriate scrubs."

Closing the door behind him he faced Cuddy's new PA.

"Good morning sir. May I help you?"

"We're here to see Cuddy."

The young man, wearing an awful breast cancer ribbon tie, smiled politely.

"And do you have an appointment?"

A groaned escaped the older man. "I don't need an appointment." He continued toward the door.

"Excuse me sir... You can't come and ask to see Doctor Cuddy without an appointment! She's a very busy woman and..."

"Too busy for her weekly SM session? I don't think so. Why don't you make yourself useful and take all her calls for the next... let's say the next 45 minutes? Doctor Cuddy or I should say Mistress Lisa loves to make it quick."

"SM... Look, I'm new here and..." He took a deep breath. "Do you want me to keep the baby while you... while you and Doctor Cuddy..."

"Don't bother. He's a quiet one. Won't disturb us." He opened the door, but stop before closing it. "45 minutes, remember?"

The poor young man looked clearly traumatized. Cuddy was sitting at her desk, working on her laptop.

"I'm busy, Brandon. Take a message and..." she looked up and smiled. "House! Aren't you supposed to be home today?"

"My, Cuddy. It's the first time your complaining about me being at the hospital. I can leave if you want..."

"Don't... I mean... I thought you would have prefer to spend the day at home..."

Settling down on the couch, he unstrapped the carrier and handed the baby to the Dean of Medicine.

"Stay home with that? Remember this patient I once had who was taking her child Ritalin pills? I better understand her now."

Cuddy laughed before taking the baby's tiny University of Michigan cap off and kissing the top of his head. "What did you told my PA to get in?"

"That you had call me for our weekly SM session." The Dean nearly choked. "You should impose a dress code for your employees, you know."

"There is a dress code, Greg. Do I have to remind you that doctors are supposed to wear lab coat?"

"I'm not talking about medical staff, even thought that nurse Jeffrey... Pink scrubs on a man? It only empower the gay male nurse stereotype. No, I was talking about that PA of yours. Have you seen his tie? A breast cancer ribbon tie!"

"At least he is wearing a tie! And he's only a temp, Greg. Won't stay long after your little bondage joke. How are you copping without Emily?"

"Not too bad. The little monster and I are doing fine. Emily calls at least 5 times a day to make sure everything's okay. It's a miracle she even have time to attend any seminar. I... I wanted to thank you, for sending her there. I know that, technically, she's an intern and that you had to pull some strings..."

"I didn't pull that much strings. Doctor Horowitz recommended her kindly to Doctor Webber. Most of the people attending the conference don't even have half her medical knowledge and they're mostly surgical resident and attending. How does she likes it?"

"Likes it? She loves it. Says that Seattle Grace is one hell of a hospital, lots of interesting people, great bars in the surrounding and she met a neonatal Goddess that she now worships. It's 'Doctor Montgomery this', 'Doctor Montgomery that'... I'm afraid the next time she calls it's to tell me she decided to stay there."

"Don't worry, Greg, not even a neonatal Goddess will keep your daughter away from Princeton for long."

She sat next to him, cooing at the baby. Sensing the glance her best doctor was giving she smiled.

"Is there a problem, Greg?"

"No... I just love it when you call me Greg."

"I love it too when you call me Lisa. It's something that, even after years of knowing me, you don't do enough."

For a moment they were both silent. They just looked at each other, smiling. The baby's whimpers quickly brought them back to reality.

"I better take him back home... According to the schedule Emily graciously gave me it's nearly his naptime. Wanna give a hand with this stupid kangaroo thing?"

Cuddy nodded and helped him strapped the carrier before putting the baby in it. She kissed the infant on the back of his head before impulsively kissing House on the cheek.

"Thank you... for stopping by."

"It's nothing..." huskily answered the diagnostician.

She escorted him to the door and smiled when he dropped a kiss on her cheek.

"See you later, Mistress."

**Author Note** : Hope you like this chapter, I know it's long overdue. You can now follow me on Twitter at twitter . com/LaraKingsley for update on my work. Don't forget to leave me a review, I live for them. Luv, Lara K.


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